title: Deficiency of KIT-positive cells in the colon of patients with diabetes mellitus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Diabetes mellitus is a well-known cause of gastrointestinal dysmotility. The pathogenesis of diabetic gastroenteropathy is mainly considered to be a neuropathy, but the cause of dysmotility remains unknown. Interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC), which express c-kit receptor tyrosine kinase (KIT), are considered to be pacemaker cells for the gastrointestinal movement. Therefore, we investigated a possible involvement of ICC in the pathogenesis of diabetic gastroenteropathy in humans.
  
  
  METHODS
  The KIT-positive cells in the proper muscle layer of the colon were detected by immunohistochemistry in patients with diabetes mellitus and normal control subjects. Mast cells, which are also known to express KIT, were detected by staining with Alcian blue. The numbers of KIT-positive cells and Alcian blue-positive cells in the proper muscle layer were counted under the microscope and the number of KIT-positive cells apart from Alcian blue-positive cells was calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the normal control subjects, KIT-positive cells were located at the myenteric plexus region and in the circular muscle layer of the colon. Their distribution pattern was similar to that of ICC. The average number of KIT-positive cells, apart from mast cells (which reflects the number of ICC), in patients with diabetes mellitus was approximately 40% of that found in normal subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Deficiency of ICC might be related to the pathogenesis of diabetic gastroenteropathy in humans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Molecular Science, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 B-5 Yamada-oka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakahara
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Isozaki
authors.forename: Seiichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hirota
authors.forename: Jean-Marie
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Vanderwinden
authors.forename: Rena
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Takakura
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kinoshita
authors.forename: Jun-Ichiro
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Miyagawa
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yoshiji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miyazaki
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kiyohara
authors.forename: Yasuhisa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shinomura
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsuzawa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000423:Alcian Blue; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003106:Colon / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000166:cytology; D003248:Constipation / Q000209:etiology; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit; D000423:Alcian Blue