Ghrelin immunoreactive cells in gastric endocrine tumors and their relation to plasma ghrelin concentration.
OBJECTIVE
Our aim was to elucidate the incidence and distribution pattern of ghrelin-immunoreactive (IR) cells in various types of human gastric endocrine tumors, and their surrounding mucosa, and relate the findings to total ghrelin concentrations in plasma.


BACKGROUND
It has been demonstrated previously, that ghrelin-IR cells are present not only in normal human gastric oxyntic mucosa, but also in all types of enterochromaffinlike (ECL) cell carcinoids (ECL-CCs), and in mucosal regions affected by ECL cell hyperplasia.


METHODS
Forty-eight gastric endocrine tumors were included in the study: 32 type I ECL-CCs, 3 type II, 9 type III, 1 non-ECL-CC, and 3 poorly differentiated endocrine carcinomas. The tumors were analyzed immunohistochemically with antibodies raised versus chromogranin A, synaptophysin, serotonin, somatostatin, vesicular monoamine transporter 2 and ghrelin. Total ghrelin in plasma was measured in 20 patients, using a commercial radioimmunoassay kit.


RESULTS
Ghrelin-IR cells were found in all types I and II ECL-CCs but in only a few cases of the other tumors. Ghrelin-IR cells were also found among the hyperplastic endocrine cells in the mucosa surrounding types I and II, where they showed diffuse, linear, nodular and adenomatoid hyperplasia patterns. In type III ECL-CCs and poorly differentiated endocrine carcinomas, only diffuse and linear ghrelin-IR cell hyperplasia was present in the oxyntic mucosa in about half of the cases, whereas the mucosa of the non-ECL-CC did not show this feature.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite the frequent occurrence of ghrelin-IR cells in both the neoplastic parenchyma and the oxyntic mucosa, plasma total ghrelin concentrations remained within the reference range and can therefore not be used as a clinical marker to identify ghrelin expressing ECL-CCs or ghrelin cell hyperplasia.
Tsolakis
Apostolos V
AV
Department of Medical Sciences, Section of Endocrine Oncology, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden. apostolos.tsolakis@medsci.uu.se
Stridsberg
Mats
M
Grimelius
Lars
L
Portela-Gomes
Guida M
GM
Falkmer
Sture E
SE
Waldum
Helge L
HL
Janson
Eva T
ET
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm / Q000276:immunology*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002276:Carcinoid Tumor / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D006965:Hyperplasia; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology
D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D054439:Ghrelin