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Endocrine differentiation of gastric adenocarcinoma. The prevalence as evaluated by immunoreactive chromogranin a and its biologic significance
Author(s) -
Ooi Akishi,
Mai Masayoshi,
Ogino Tomomi,
Ueda Hiroshi,
Kitamura Tokuji,
Takahashi Yutaka,
Kawahara El,
Nakanishi Isao
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(19880915)62:6<1096::aid-cncr2820620612>3.0.co;2-t
Subject(s) - chromogranin a , enteroendocrine cell , adenocarcinoma , gastrin , enterochromaffin like cell , pathology , medicine , somatostatin , immunocytochemistry , neuroendocrine differentiation , cancer , immunohistochemistry , endocrine system , endocrinology , hormone , secretion , prostate cancer
The prevalence of endocrine differentiation of conventional gastric adenocarcinoma was evaluated on the 212 cases (including 62 mucosal carcinomas) of consecutively resected stomach for adenocarcinoma in our hospital using anti‐chromogranin A (CGA) antibodies. CGA‐positive cells were found in 28 of 150 cases (18.7%) as an integral tumor component. In immunocytochemistry and electron microscopic examinations, we could classify these 28 cases into three groups according to the distribution patterns of CGA‐positive cells. The first group consisted of 12 cases in which scattered CGA‐positive cells were located in neoplastic glands. The second group consisted of six cases of scirrhous carcinoma in which CGA‐positive cells were separated by fibrovascular tissue. The third group consisted of ten cases in which the positive cells were present in clusters. No definite correlation was recognized between the appearance of CGA cells and histologic types of predominance. In the analysis of the hormonal substances coexpressed by CGA‐positive cells, immunoreactive serotonin (SER) was found most frequently, and somatostatin (SS), gastrin (GAS), glucagon/glicentin (GLU/GLI), and peptide‐tyrosinetyrosine (PYY) like immunoreactivities were found in a few tumor cells. CGA‐positive cells occupied limited parts of the tumors in most cases, and they were noticeably more frequent in advanced stage cases. This might explain why endocrine differentiation reflects the dysexpression of the neoplastic stem cells. Furthermore, absence of mitotic figures in this type of cell and negativity of a single colony composed exclusively of CGA cells in metastatic foci suggested that these cells are in a dormant phase and are probably postmitotic.