title: Distribution of ghrelin-immunoreactive cells in human gastric mucosa: comparison with that of parietal cells.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ghrelin is a novel 28-amino-acid peptide isolated from rat and human stomach. This peptide is an endogenous ligand for the growth hormone secretagogue receptor and stimulates the release of growth hormones. Although the principal site of ghrelin synthesis has been reported to be in the stomach, there have been no reports of detailed descriptions of the distribution of ghrelin-immunoreactive cells in the stomach. We examined the distribution of ghrelin-immunoreactive cells in human gastric mucosa.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied the tumor-free mucosa along the lesser curvature in 30 patients with gastric cancer. Sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin and then subjected to ghrelin immunohistochemistry. The distribution of ghrelin-immunoreactive and parietal cells was studied by continuous cell counting in restricted fields along the lamina muscularis mucosa.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ghrelin-immunoreactive cells were found in all regions, but were distributed mainly in the fundic region. The distribution of ghrelin-immunoreactive cells was positively correlated with that of parietal cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study suggested that the distribution of ghrelin-immunoreactive cells follows that of parietal cells.
authors.affiliation: Kobe University School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, 7-10-2 Tomogaoka, Suma-ku, Kobe 654-0142, Japan.
authors.forename: Michiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tanaka-Shintani
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Watanabe
mesh_terms: D000906:Antibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D002452:Cell Count; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D054439:Ghrelin; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D010295:Parietal Cells, Gastric / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D036361:Peptide Hormones / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D054439:Ghrelin; D036361:Peptide Hormones