Premium
Increased cell proliferation and transforming growth factor‐α (TGFα) in the gall‐bladder epithelium of patients with pancreaticobiliary maljunction
Author(s) -
Kaneko Kenitiro,
Ando Hisami,
Ito Takahiro,
Kasai Kenji,
Watanabe Yoshio,
Seo Takahiko
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
pathology international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.73
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1440-1827
pISSN - 1320-5463
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1827.1996.tb03607.x
Subject(s) - transforming growth factor , gall , epithelium , cell growth , pathology , growth factor , cancer research , medicine , chemistry , biology , receptor , biochemistry , botany
Pancreaticobiliary maljunctlon is associated frequently with gall‐bladder carcinoma. Although increased turnover of the gall‐bladder epithelium in patients with pancreaticobiliary maljunction is thought to predispose to carcinogenesis, there is little data to confirm this hypothesis. In addition, no previously published study has addressed the process underlying cell proliferation. In this study, cell kinetics were first evaluated using two methods, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) Immunohistochemical staining and argyrophilic nucleolar organizer region (AgNOR) staining. Second, immu‐nohistochemistry was used to investigate the expression of transforming growth factor‐α (TGFα), a potential regulator of cell proliferation in the gall‐bladder. The gall‐bladders of 11 patients with pancreaticobiliary maljunction were studied, and 11 gall‐bladders removed from patients during other surgery were used as controls. The number of PCNA‐positive cells and the number of AgNOR per nucleus were significantly greater in the gall‐bladders of patients with pancreaticobiliary maljunction than in the control gall‐bladders. The expression of TGFα was also significantly greater in the gallbladders of patients with pancreaticobiliary maljunction than in the control gall‐bladders. In conclusion, these results suggest that the increased TGFα expression induced by pancreaticobiliary maljunction promotes proliferation of the gall‐bladder epithelium, which may lead to carcinogenesis.