Mucin histochemistry of esophagus in health and malignancy.
OBJECTIVE
To study mucin histochemistry of the normal esophagus, esophageal adenocarcinoma, and carcinoma exhibiting glandular and squamous elements, to ascertain the origin of these tumors.


METHODS
Mucin histochemistry was studied in sections of the normal cardioesophageal junction obtained from 25 post-mortem specimens and in 12 mucin-secreting esophageal carcinomas.


RESULTS
The normal submucosal esophageal glands and three adenocarcinomas secreted predominantly sulfomucins; a mixture of neutral and sialomucins was seen in the nine carcinomas with squamous and glandular traits. Barrett's metaplasia was not encountered.


CONCLUSIONS
In the absence of Barrett's metaplasia, esophageal adenocarcinoma probably arises from the submucosal glands, whereas squamous carcinomas with mucin-secreting component could arise from metaplastic change in squamous epithelium, cardiac glands, or multipotent stem cells in the epithelium.
Shet
T
T
Department of Pathology, T N Medical College, Mumbai.
Desai
S
S
Prabhu
S
S
Amarapurkar
D
D
D002288:Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous / Q000473:pathology*; D001471:Barrett Esophagus / Q000473:pathology; D001706:Biopsy; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000473:pathology; D004848:Epithelium / Q000473:pathology; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D004947:Esophagus / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D009077:Mucins / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000473:pathology; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000473:pathology
D009077:Mucins