Altered Distribution of Metaplastic Paneth, Gastrin and Pancreatic Acinar Cells in Atrophic Gastritic Mucosa with Endocrine Cell Lesions
M. SALIH DEVECI and GÜZIN DEVECI
Department of Pathology, Gülhane Military Medical Academy, School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
The mechanism of progression from gastric endocrine cell hyperplasias (ECHs) to carcinoid tumor (GCT) is still unknown. In these lesions, the distribution of metaplastic Paneth, gastrin and pancreatic acinar cells developing due to consequences of corporal mucosal atrophy has not been investigated in detail. In this study, 33 gastric endoscopic biopsies with endocrine cell lesions were examined. In all cases except 6 with solitary GCT, complete-type (small intestine) intestinal metaplasia (IM) with Paneth cells was observed. The density of lysozyme-positive Paneth cells in IMs in cases with GCTs was less than those in ECH alone. The density of gastrin-positive cells in IMs and average number of micronodules of ECHs were similar. Pancreatic acinar metaplasia (PAM) was observed in 6 cases of GCTs with ECH. The size of GCTs with ECH was smaller than those without ECH. By image analysis, the percentage of Ki67 (MIB-1, proliferation marker) expressing cells of GCTs with ECH was 5.1±0.6%, and GCT without ECH 7.8±1%. Our results indicate that few Paneth cells and many PAMs in atrophic corporal mucosa are seen more frequently in cases of GCTs with ECH, compared to those in ECH alone. Gastrin-positive cells in the corporal IM may stimulate enterochromaffin-like (ECL) cells, which may induce hyper-plasia, dysplasia or neoplasia by augmenting the effects of hypergastrinemia through a paracrine mechanism on local gastrin-sensitive cells.
keywords —— endocrine cell lesions; paneth cells; gastrin cells; pancreatic acinar cells
© 2004 Tohoku University Medical Press
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Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 2004, 202, 13-22
Address for reprints: Dr. M. Salih Deveci, M.D., Department of Pathology, Gülhane Military Medical Academy, School of Medicine, TR-06018 Etlik, Ankara, Turkey.
e-mail: msdeveci@gata.edu.tr