title: Morphometry of synaptophysin immunoreactive ganglion cells in Auerbach plexus in patients with colorectal cancer. Is this a new prognostic factor?
abstract: The aim of our study was to estimate morphometric parameters of synaptophysin (Syn-38) immunoreactive ganglion cells in colorectal cancer (within and at various distances from neoplastic infiltration) in postoperative material from 60 patients. We analysed the intensity of Syn-38 expression in Auerbach ganglion neurones, mean number of these cells in the ganglion, and their longitudinal and transverse diameters. The results showed a statistically significant reduction in the number of neurones in intramural ganglia of the large intestine located in neoplastic infiltration and in its close proximity. The size of ganglion cells was directly proportional to the distance from cancer infiltration and inversely proportional to Syn-38 content, which may be explained by degenerative changes and dysfunction of these cells. This correlation was significant in the case of cells with the cytoplasmatic Syn-38 immunoreactivity pattern, but did not refer to the cells with perimembranous pattern, which seemed to be undamaged. Morphometric analysis of synaptophysin immunoreactive ganglion cells in Auerbach plexus in colorectal cancer may be a new useful marker for the description of changes in the intestinal nervous system as well as a prognostic factor for colorectal cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pathomorphology, Medical University of Białystok, Białystok, Poland. mariasl@zeus.amb.edu.pl
authors.forename: Maria E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Sobaniec-Lotowska
authors.forename: Mariusz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ciołkiewicz
authors.forename: Józef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pogumirski
authors.forename: Stanisław
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sulkowski
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sobczak
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002452:Cell Count; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005725:Ganglia, Autonomic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009197:Myenteric Plexus / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D016708:Synaptophysin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D016708:Synaptophysin