Published online Sep 15, 1996. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v2.i3.155
Revised: July 1, 1996
Accepted: August 16, 1996
Published online: September 15, 1996
AIM: To study the quantitative ultrastructure of neuroendocrine cells of the gastric mucosa in normal and pathological conditions, including the duodenal ulcer (DU) and Zollinger-Ellison syndrome (ZES).
METHODS: The neuroendocrine cells of the gastric mucosa of eight normal subjects, six patients with DU, and five patients with ZES were quantitatively investigated with by electron microscopy and ultrastructure image analysis.
RESULTS: The volume density of neuroendocrine (NE) cells in the DU was 1.3% and 0.8% (vs 1.6% and 0.9%, P < 0.05) in gastric antrum and corpus, respectively. In the antrum, G cells were 65% (P < 0.05), D cells decreased in cell density (3% vs 9.5%) and in number per unit area (P < 0.01). In the corpus, the cell density of enterochromaffin-like (ECL) cells increased (49% vs 30%, P < 0.05); D cells and enterochromaffin (EC) cells decreased (2%, P < 0.01 and 4%, P < 0.05, respectively), and the number of D cells per unit area markedly decreased. In ZES, D cells in the corpus decreased in cell density (4% vs 22%, P < 0.01), and P cells also decreased (11% vs 24%, P < 0.05). The density of ECL cells increased (65% vs 30%, P < 0.01).
CONCLUSION: In DU and ZES, both the number and type of NE cells presented some changes. Increased gastrin in DU and ZES patients may be caused by the decrease of D cells and somatostatin secretion.