Study of the interstitial cells of Cajal in infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis.
OBJECTIVE
The interstitial cells of Cajal form a network in close association with the smooth muscle of the gut. They are regarded as pacemaker cells and might be involved in motility disorders. Their distribution was studied in a common disorder with a dysfunction of the pyloric sphincter called infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis.


METHODS
Specimens from 27 infants with pyloric stenosis and 12 controls were processed for immunohistochemistry using a specific antiserum raised against c-kit, a tyrosine kinase receptor expressed by interstitial cells.


RESULTS
In the normal pylorus, numerous interstitial cells were labeled throughout the tissue. In pyloric stenosis, c-kit immunoreactivity was absent in the major part of the tissue. Interstitial cells were observed only in the inner part of the musculature, near the submucosal edge, and in the antrum, at the proximal end of the biopsy specimens.


CONCLUSIONS
The lack of interstitial cells in the pylorus possibly contributes to the motility disturbance of infantile pyloric stenosis.
Vanderwinden
J M
JM
Laboratoire de Neurophysiologie et Physiopathologie du Système Nerveux, Faculté de Médecine, Université Libre de Bruxelles. jmvdwin@ulb.ac.be
Liu
H
H
De Laet
M H
MH
Vanderhaeghen
J J
JJ
D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006984:Hypertrophy; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000378:metabolism; D011706:Pyloric Antrum / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D011707:Pyloric Stenosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D019089:Stem Cell Factor / Q000378:metabolism
D019089:Stem Cell Factor; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit