title: Changes in interstitial cell of Cajal-like cells density in congenital ureteropelvic junction obstruction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The authors examined the number of interstitial cells of Cajal-like cells (ICC-LCs) in obstructed ureteropelvic junction (UPJ) in comparison with normal UPJ specimens and age-related changes.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 20 human formalin fixed, paraffin-embedded specimens of intrinsic UPJO from children at the mean age of 8.1 years (age range: 8 months-16.8 years) and 5 control samples from children at the mean age of 2.3 years (range 2.4 months-7.4 years) were investigated immunohistochemically for the expression of c-kit proto-oncogene by light microscopy with computerized image analysis. The results were examined by Fisher's exact test, Yates' chi-square test, and t test for Pearson's correlation coefficient. A P value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The number of ICC-LCs-dense fields was significantly higher in UPJO specimens in comparison with the normal group (P = 0.0004). The number of ICC-LCs-sparse fields was significantly lowered in UPJO specimens in comparison with the normal group (P = 0.0122). There was no significant difference in the number of ICC-LCs-medium fields in obstructed and normal UPJ specimens. The number of ICC-LCs was decreasing significantly with increasing age of the patients with UPJO (P = 0.0038).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The higher density of c-kit-positive ICC-LCs in UPJ may manifest the compensation of altered peristalsis in UPJO. The number of ICC-LCs-dense fields decreasing with age may show the failure of compensation and regression of the compensatory changes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathophysiology, Wroclaw Medical University, ul. Marcinkowskiego 1, 50-368 Wroclaw, Poland. pkoleda@koleda-pl.eu
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Koleda
authors.forename: Wojciech
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Apoznanski
authors.forename: Zdzislaw
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wozniak
authors.forename: Leslaw
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rusiecki
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Szydelko
authors.forename: Witold
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Pilecki
authors.forename: Marcin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Polok
authors.forename: Dariusz
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kalka
authors.forename: Artur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pupka
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002452:Cell Count; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007223:Infant; D056885:Interstitial Cells of Cajal / Q000473:pathology*; D007682:Kidney Pelvis / Q000473:pathology*; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000032:analysis; D014513:Ureter / Q000473:pathology*; D014517:Ureteral Obstruction / Q000151:congenital* / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: C000715470:MAS1 protein, human; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit