Microproliferation of enterochromaffin cells and the origin of carcinoid tumors of the ileum: a light microscopic and immunocytochemical study.
Using light microscopy, we studied the enterochromaffin (EC) cells in the intertumoral normal-appearing ileal mucosa in four cases of multiple ileal carcinoid tumors to investigate the mode of development of these tumors. There were 54 (39 mucosal, 15 submucosal) grossly invisible neoplastic microproliferations of cells with the attributes of EC cells, including immunocytochemical characteristics. No direct connection between these microproliferations and the intramucosal EC cells were demonstrated, nor was hyperplasia of EC cells found. Thus, we did not find a direct link between the intramucosal EC cells and carcinoid tumor.
D000906:Antibodies; D002276:Carcinoid Tumor / Q000473:pathology*; D002455:Cell Division; D006801:Humans; D007078:Ileal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D007082:Ileum / Q000473:pathology*; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology*; D012701:Serotonin / Q000276:immunology
D000906:Antibodies; D012701:Serotonin