title: Quantitative ultrastructure of endocrine cells of oxyntic mucosa in Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. Correspondence with light microscopic findings.
abstract: The endocrine cells of the oxyntic mucosa of five patients with longstanding Zollinger-Ellison syndrome were quantitatively investigated with electron microscopy and two light microscopic methods (Grimelius and immunostaining for chromogranin A). Ultrastructurally, the volume density of endocrine cells was 3.2% +/- 1.1% of the mucosal epithelial component, a 168% increase (P less than 0.001) over the value found in normal subjects. Of the six endocrine cell types of human oxyntic mucosa, only enterochromaffinlike cells increased in cell density (65% +/- 15% of the total endocrine cell mass), size, and number of cell profiles per unit area. The enterochromaffinlike cells also underwent morphological changes of secretory granules with a decrease in vacuolated forms, increase in elongated profiles, and appearance of granules with a punctate structure of the core. The latter variety of granules was previously observed only in carcinoid tumors of the oxyntic mucosa and is possibly related to the enterochromaffinlike cell hyperplasia-neoplasia sequence seen in hypergastrinemic patients. A positive relationship was found between endocrine cell densities evaluated ultrastructurally and with chromogranin A immunostaining. It is concluded that in Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, the trophic effects induced by longstanding hypergastrinemia are strictly selective for enterochromaffinlike cells and are associated with ultrastructural features typical for enterochromaffinlike cell tumors.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathological Anatomy, University of Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: D'Adda
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Corleto
authors.forename: F P
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Pilato
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Baggi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Robutti
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Delle Fave
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bordi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002864:Chromogranins / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003594:Cytoplasmic Granules / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004759:Enterochromaffin Cells / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D005755:Gastrins / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008853:Microscopy / Q000379:methods; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008875:Middle Aged; D010295:Parietal Cells, Gastric / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D014617:Vacuoles / Q000648:ultrastructure; D015043:Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D002864:Chromogranins; D005755:Gastrins