title: Interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC)-like-c-Kit positive cells are involved in gastritis and carcinogenesis in human stomach.
abstract: This study was executed to prove the existence of c-Kit-positive interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC)-like cells [c-Kit (+) ICC-like cells] and their possible role associated with gastric inflammation and/or carcinogenesis in human gastric mucosa. c-Kit (+) ICC-like cells were observed throughout all the layers of the gastric fundus along the greater curvature. Dense fusiform cell bodies with many processes were found in each layer. We also studied the c-Kit-positive immunoreactivity distribution pattern in the mucosa. c-Kit (+) cells were found mainly around the epithelial repair zone of the normal gastric fundus/corpus and of the fundus/corpus with non-metaplastic chronic gastritis. Notably, they were found attached to the epithelia of the repair zone in non-metaplastic chronic gastritis. In chronic gastritis with intestinal metaplasia, they were found scattered everywhere in the stroma of the gastric mucosa and did not attach to the metaplastic epithelium. We found c-Kit (+) ICC-like cells in human mucosa. They were present mainly in the stroma around the repair zone of the glands in chronic gastritis as well as in normal mucosa, whereas they seemed to redistribute over the whole mucosa in gastritis with intestinal metaplasia. These cells around the repair zone were found to be tightly attached to epithelial cells, but not to metaplastic epithelial cells. Thus, c-Kit (+) ICC-like cells appear to have a role in the epithelial recovery process and may be associated with carcinogenesis of human gastric mucosa.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Chungbuk National University, College of Medicine, Heungduk-gu, Cheongju, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Rohyun
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.forename: Young Chul
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hyo-Yung
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Yun
authors.forename: Woong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Hun Sik
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Heon
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kwang Ju
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Ra Young
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: You
authors.forename: Seon Mee
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Sei Jin
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Youn
authors.forename: Mi-Jung
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Won Seop
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Young-Jin
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Seok-Yong
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Wen-Xie
authors.initials: WX
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Sang Jin
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005748:Gastric Fundus / Q000378:metabolism; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D005756:Gastritis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation; D056885:Interstitial Cells of Cajal / Q000166:cytology*; D008297:Male; D008679:Metaplasia; D008875:Middle Aged; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000378:metabolism; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000378:metabolism*; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit