title: Quantitation of the B and A cell fractions in human pancreas from early fetal life to puberty.
abstract: The morphological development of B and A cells in human pancreas was studied with immunoperoxidase strains in 172 cases ranging in age from 12 weeks of fetal life to puberty. Tissue was defined as polypeptide rich or poor to take account of the known islet heterogeneity in the gland. Pancreatic cell density was measured and B and A cell development was calculated in terms of (a) volume fraction and (b) density (micron2/100 nuclei). B cell density increased throughout fetal life to reach a peak at the postnatal age of 2 months, whereas A cell density was greatest in the 6 month fetus. The ratio of B to A cell volume fractions is approximately 1.5 throughout most of fetal life and rises postnatally to a stable value of 5 by the age of 2.5 years.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005333:Fetus; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000032:analysis* / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development; D010455:Peptides / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D010455:Peptides