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E Solcia

Publications and source records attributed to E Solcia.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Ovarian mucinous tumors frequently express markers of gastric, intestinal, and pancreatobiliary epithelial cells.

In 100 mucinous tumors of the ovary (37 benign, 24 borderline, and 39 malignant), the authors determined by histochemical and immunohistochemical techniques the frequencies and patterns of expression of a total of nine markers of gastric, intestinal, and pancreatobiliary duct epithelial cells. M1, a mucin antigen, and cathepsin E (CaE), an aspartic proteinase, two markers of normal gastric superficial/foveolar epithelial cells, were expressed in 95 and 92 tumors, respectively. Periodic acid-concanavalin A-reactive mucin or pepsinogen (PG) II, markers of gastric mucus neck and pyloric gland cells, were found in 79 tumors. All of these tumors also expressed M1 or CaE. DU-PAN-2 and the N-terminal epitope of gastrin-releasing peptide, markers of normal pancreatobiliary duct cells, were found in 70 and 49 tumors, respectively, and CAR-5 and M3SI, markers of intestinal mucin, were expressed in 51 and 30 tumors, respectively. All tumors expressed at least two of the nine markers studied; none expressed PG I, a marker of gastric chief cells. The mucopeptic cell marker, PG II, was significantly more common in benign and borderline than in malignant tumors (P less than 0.005), whereas CAR-5 and M3SI, markers of intestinal mucin, were expressed significantly more often in malignant than in benign and borderline tumors (P less than 0.001). By electron microscopic examination, many tumor cells had fine structural features characteristic of gastric superficial/foveolar and pyloric gland cells, intestinal columnar or goblet cells, and endocervical cells. The results indicate that gastroenteropancreatic cell differentiation--and, in particular, gastric type differentiation--is a prominent feature of ovarian mucinous tumors.

Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous

Helicobacter colonization and histopathological profile of chronic gastritis in patients with or without dyspepsia, mucosal erosion and peptic ulcer: a morphological approach to the study of ulcerogenesis in man.

Helicobacter pylori colonization and the incidence, severity, activity and topography of gastritis were investigated systematically in antrum and corpus mucosal biopsies of 1177 subjects undergoing endoscopy in the absence of gastric complaints (asymptomatic, 49) or for non-ulcer dyspepsia (NUD; 631 patients, 72 of whom had gastric and/or duodenal erosions), active gastric ulcer (GU, 76 patients), active duodenal ulcer (DU, 138 patients), and healed gastric (HGU, 39 cases) or duodenal ulcer (HDU, 230 cases). In the antrum, H. pylori colonization and the incidence, severity and activity of gastritis increased progressively in the sequence asymptomatic, erosion-free NUD, erosive NUD, healed ulcer and active ulcer. The same trend was observed in the corpus as regards H. pylori and gastritis incidence, whereas the severity and activity of gastritis were lower in active DU and erosive NUD and higher in active, proximal GU than in the remaining patients. Active DU and erosive NUD showed the highest incidence of non-atrophic gastritis and lowest type-A or AB atrophic gastritis, while active GU had lowest normal mucosa or type-A gastritis and highest type-B atrophic gastritis. In conclusion, H. pylori colonization and gastritis incidence, severity and, especially, activity of the antrum might all contribute to mucosal erosion and ulceration, whereas the same factors, at least in part and with the exception of proximal GU, seem to have a preventive role when affecting corpus mucosa.

Adolescent

Gastric endocrine cells and gastritis in patients receiving long-term omeprazole treatment.

Both argyrophil endocrine cells and gastritis were investigated in 2,120 biopsies of gastric corpus mucosa from 443 out of 448 patients receiving long-term (for periods ranging from several months to 4 years) omeprazole treatment. None of the patients showed neoplasia or dysplasia, either endocrine or non-endocrine. In 123 out of 443 patients (27.8%), endocrine hyperplasia of diffuse (9.3%), linear (4.1%) or micronodular (14.4%) type was detected either before or at some time during treatment. Chronic atrophic gastritis was found in 45 (10.2%) patients, 60% of whom also showed micronodular hyperplasia. In patients with chronic atrophic gastritis, micronodular hyperplasia occurred in 49% of 96 biopsies, compared with 6% of 1,083 biopsies from patients with non-atrophic chronic gastritis and 2% of 941 biopsies from patients with no evidence of gastritis. In 202 patients treated with omeprazole for at least 330 days, the incidence of micronodular hyperplasia increased from 2.5% at the first biopsy to 10.4% at the final biopsy, while the incidence of chronic atrophic gastritis increased from 1.0% to 13.0%. The present and parallel studies suggest that progression of gastritis is inherent in the natural history of acid-related diseases, while endocrine cell changes are mostly secondary to gastritis-related gland atrophy and have no tumorigenic potential.

Adult

Glucagonomas of transgenic mice express a wide range of general neuroendocrine markers and bioactive peptides.

Pancreatic tumours of transgenic mice carrying a glucagon-promoted simian virus 40 (SV40) T antigen oncogene have been analysed by histological, histochemical, ultrastructural and radioimmunological means. Seven transgenic mice were examined revealing dysplastic and neoplastic lesions in the endocrine pancreas. Four tumours were identified, one of which metastasized to periadrenal spaces and paravertebral lymph nodes. Benign tumours were composed of argyrophilic, endocrine cells reactive to a range of antibodies against neuroendocrine markers (neuron-specific enolase, protein gene product 9.5, chromogranin A, synaptophysin and protein 7B2) and different fragments of the proglucagon molecule (glucagon, glicentin, glucagon-like polypeptides 1 and 2). A few tumour cells expressed pancreatic polypeptide, somatostatin or insulin. Conventional ultrastructural analysis and immunogold labelling revealed typical glucagon-immunoreactive alpha granules which co-stored glicentin and glucagon-like polypeptides 1 and 2. The malignant primary tumour and its metastases were composed mainly of cells which did not show immunoreactivity for neuroendocrine markers or peptides. Atypical, glucagon-immunogold labelled granules were detected at electron microscopy in differentiated tumour cells and C-type retroviral particles in the largest tumour population of degranulated cells. The transgene-encoded oncoprotein SV40 large T-antigen was detected in the nuclei of well-differentiated tumour cells and in alpha cells of some dysplastic islets. All tumour-bearing mice showed high levels of circulating glucagon-like immunoreactivity. Transgenic mice harbouring the glucagon-promoted SV40 T antigen oncogene may provide a model for human glucagonoma.

Animals

Antral gastrin cell hyperfunction in children. A functional and immunocytochemical report.

Antral gastrin cell hyperfunction is a rare condition, often associated with severe duodenal ulcer disease. In children, clinical and functional characteristics of this syndrome are poorly known. Two cases are described here: one child had melena and the other had moderate abdominal pain, both without peptic ulceration. Basal and postprandial increase of gastrin levels showed a response over the upper normal range, indicating gastrin cell hyperfunction. Acid hypersecretion, both basal and after pentagastrin stimulation, was also found in the two children, confirming the biological effect of their sustained hypergastrinemia. Gastrin cell counts were within the normal range, while the number of somatostatin D cells was significantly reduced. This report stresses the importance of diagnosing antral gastrin cell hyperfunction in children because this unrecognized condition may manifest with serious complications (bleeding) or nonspecific abdominal symptoms.

Abdominal Pain

Multidirectional carcinoma of the thymus with neuroendocrine and sarcomatoid components and carcinoid syndrome.

We report a case of metastatic thymic neoplasm occurring in a 62-year-old Caucasian man. The tumor was polymorphic, with intimately admixed carcinoid, sarcomatous and undifferentiated components. Sarcomatous cells were spindle-shaped and immunoreactive for vimentin, actin and desmin. Carcinoid cells reacted for cytokeratin as well as with a panel of general neuroendocrine markers, including chromogranins A and B, synaptophysin, protein gene product (PGP) 9.5, neuron specific enolase (NSE), Leu 7 and Grimelius' silver. The endocrine nature of the latter cells was confirmed by ultrastructural evidence of abundant electron-dense granules 100 to 300 nm in size. Among the various hormones investigated immunohistochemically only the alpha chain of human chorionic gonadotropin (alpha-hCG) was detected in tumor cells. The neoplasm recurred after surgical resection and caused a typical carcinoid syndrome with skin flushing and increased urinary 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid (5-HIAA). The diagnosis of multidirectional thymic carcinoma with two lines of differentiation, of carcinoid and sarcomatoid type, was made.

Humans

Morphology and pathogenesis of endocrine hyperplasias, precarcinoid lesions, and carcinoids arising in chronic atrophic gastritis.

The spectrum of endocrine cell changes occurring in 80 cases of body-fundus chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG), mostly type A or multifocal, including various types of hyperplasia, precarcinoid lesions (20 cases), and neoplasia (carcinoid, 24 cases) have been analyzed histologically, histochemically, and ultrastructurally. Changes associated with gland atrophy, pyloric- or intestinal-type metaplasia, regenerative hyperplasia, and hypergastrinemia have been identified and their neoplastic potential evaluated in the light of their proliferative capacity (bromodeoxyuridine incorporation) and clinicopathologic behavior. A close link between disseminated precarcinoid lesions of non-tumor mucosa and multiple carcinoids (carcinoidosis) arising in hypergastrinemic type-A CAG is suggested. Hyperplastic changes, including endocrine cell clusters, seem to have no or only minimal neoplastic potential.

Carcinoid Tumor

Ultrastructural identification of human secretin cells by the immunogold technique. Their costorage of chromogranin A and serotonin.

We have localized secretin in a morphologically distinctive endocrine cell scattered in the epithelium covering the villi and uppermost crypts of the human duodenum and jejunum. The human secretin cell was characterized by relatively large (mean diameter 299 nm +/- 69 SD), fairly irregular granules, the majority of which showed homogeneous distribution of secretin and chromogranin A immunolabelling in a structurally homogeneous core. Other granules had a targetoid pattern due to an inner, argyrophobe, secretin-immunoreactive body surrounded by an argyrophil, chromogranin A immunoreactive mantle. These targetoid granules represent a distinctive ultrastructural marker of the secretin cell. Secretin cell granules have been shown to react with chromogranin A antibodies and Grimelius' silver, while lacking chromogranin B immunoreactivity. About 1/3 of secretin cells also showed serotonin immunostaining.

APUD Cells

Ductal cancers of the pancreas frequently express markers of gastrointestinal epithelial cells.

It has been found by immunohistochemical staining that antigens normally found in gastric and/or intestinal epithelial cells are expressed in most differentiated duct cell carcinomas of the pancreas. Among 88 such tumors, 93% and 92%, respectively, expressed M1 and cathepsin E, markers of gastric surface-foveolar epithelial cells, 51% expressed pepsinogen II, a marker of gastroduodenal mucopeptic cells, 48% expressed CAR-5, a marker of colorectal epithelial cells, and 35% expressed M3SI, a marker of small intestinal goblet cells. Most of the tumors also expressed normal pancreatic duct antigens; 97% expressed DU-PAN-2, and 59% expressed N-terminus gastrin-releasing peptide. In agreement with these findings, electron microscopy revealed malignant cells with fine structural features of gastric foveolar cells, gastric mucopeptic cells, intestinal goblet cells, intestinal columnar cells, pancreatic duct epithelial cells, and cells with features of more than one cell type. Normal pancreatic duct epithelium did not express any marker of gastrointestinal epithelial cells, whereas such benign lesions as mucinous cell hypertrophy and papillary hyperplasia commonly expressed gut-type antigens but rarely expressed pancreatic duct cell markers. By contrast, lesions characterized by atypical papillary hyperplasia commonly expressed both gastric and pancreatic duct cell markers. Metaplastic pyloric-type glands expressed pepsinogen II and, except for their expression of cathepsin E, were indistinguishable from normal pyloric glands. In marked contrast, the immunohistochemical and ultrastructural features of 14 ductuloacinar cell tumors were those of cells lining terminal ductules, centroacinar cells, and/or acinar cells; none expressed any gut-type antigen. The results indicate that gastrointestinal differentiation is common in both benign and malignant lesions of pancreatic duct epithelium and suggest that duct cell carcinomas are histogenetically related to gastric- and intestinal-type metaplastic changes of epithelial cells lining the main and interlobular ducts of the pancreas.

Antibodies, Monoclonal

The foveolar cell component of gastric cancer.

M1, a mucin antigen, and cathepsin E, an aspartic proteinase, are both expressed in normal gastric superficial-foveolar epithelial cells. In this study, we determined by immunohistochemical staining the prevalence of these antigens in 316 gastric cancers representative of the main histologic types and stages of the disease. M1 was expressed in 201 cases (64%) and cathepsin E was expressed in 235 cases (75%) of the 313 cases investigated. Both antigens were expressed more commonly in diffuse and mixed cancers than in glandular tumors. M1 was found in 64 of 83 (77%) diffuse cancers and in 48 of 59 (81%) mixed cancers, but in only 74 of 146 (51%) glandular cancers. For cathepsin E, the prevalence was 93% in diffuse cancer, 81% in mixed cancer, and 71% in the 143 glandular cancers examined. Among 25 mucoid tumors, 15 (60%) expressed M1 but only eight (32%) expressed cathepsin E. Overall, 262 (84%) of the tumors expressed at least one of these antigens and of these, 173 (66%) expressed both antigens. No significant difference in the prevalence of M1 or cathepsin E was found between early and advanced cancer or between metastatic and nonmetastatic cancer. The two markers differed in their intracellular localization. In superficial-foveolar cells, M1 immunostaining was concentrated in secretory granules, Golgi complex, and luminal mucous, whereas cathepsin E was found in the endoplasmic reticulum. Moreover, cathepsin E, but not M1, was found in the enterocytes of duodenal villi and, occasionally, in mucopeptic cells. Parallel histochemical and ultrastructural investigations confirmed the occurrence in gastric cancer of foveolar-type cells, manifested by periodic acid-Schiff- and/or alcian blue-reactive mucous granules having a punctate substructure. We conclude that superficial-foveolar cell differentiation is common in gastric cancer and is a major component of this type of tumor. However, pure foveolar cell differentiation is rare. Rather, most gastric cancers consist of cells exhibiting features of foveolar, intestinal, and mucopeptic cell lines.

Antibodies

Gastric argyrophil carcinoidosis in patients with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome due to type 1 multiple endocrine neoplasia. A newly recognized association.

We report four cases of gastric argyrophil carcinoidosis arising in the oxyntic mucosa of patients with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome as part of type 1 multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) syndrome. Multiple mucosal and submucosal carcinoids were seen in combination with innumerable hyperplastic and dysplastic growths of argyrophil endocrine cells disseminated in the entire acidopeptic mucosa. Histochemical and ultrastructural investigation indicated that the argyrophil enterochromaffin-like (ECL) cell, a type of endocrine cell normally restricted to the oxyntic mucosa and very sensitive to gastrin stimulation, was a major component of the carcinoidosis. Five similar cases were found in the literature. Because argyrophil ECL cell carcinoid or carcinoidosis is unusual in patients who have the Zollinger-Ellison syndrome but do not have MEN, we believe that the genetic trait of the MEN syndrome has an important permissive role in the promotion of gastric carcinoids through the hypergastrinemia inherent to Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.

Adult

Classification and histogenesis of gastroenteropancreatic endocrine tumours.

A series of 267 gastroenteropancreatic endocrine tumours has been revised from the point of view of histopathologic diagnosis, hormonal profile and clinical behaviour. Results of this investigation, together with revised concepts on the histogenesis of gastroenteropancreatic endocrine growths, allowed to develop detailed classification systems which proved useful for precise tumour diagnosis and for clinicopathologic correlation, with special reference to tumour function, prognosis and therapy. Among 132 pancreatic growths, various types of islet cell tumours (61 cases), with (45 cases) or without (16 cases) hyperfunctional syndrome, were separated from different types of gut-related (38 cases) and 'ectopic' (three cases) tumours, as well as from 25 non-functioning, locally symptomatic tumours, three small cell carcinomas and two mixed endocrine-exocrine tumours. Among 97 intestinal tumours, 39 argentaffin EC cell carcinoids, mostly from the appendix and ileum, were separated from 23 hindgut-type carcinoids, mostly from the rectum, 22 gastrin cell tumours, mainly from the duodenal bulb, five somatostatin cell tumours, mostly from the periampullary region of the duodenum, and two gangliocytic paragangliomas. Among 38 gastric tumours, five small cell 'neuroendocrine' carcinomas were separated from three gastrin cell tumours and 30 argyrophil carcinoids, 27 of which arose in the body fundus, 16 associated with chronic atrophic gastritis and four with combined Zollinger Ellison/Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Syndrome.

Biomarkers, Tumor

Endocrine tumors of the duodenum and upper jejunum. A study of 33 cases with clinico-pathological characteristics and hormone content.

Thirty duodenal and three upper-jejunal endocrine tumors are reported. Clinical manifestations included: a) the Zollinger-Ellison syndrome (10 cases); b) peptic ulcer disease in which hypergastrinemia was not documented (3 cases); c) cholestasis or cholelithiasis (4 cases); d) abdominal pain (4 cases); e) gastro-intestinal bleeding (1 case); f) celiac sprue (1 case). Ten further tumors were discovered incidentally, at autopsy or in pathological specimens after gastrectomy or duodenopan-createctomy. Histological pattern was trabecular in 19 cases, insular in 2 and mixed in ten cases. Two cases were typical ganglioneuromatous paragangliomas. All tumors were examined immunohistochemically. Twelve tumors contained gastrin, four somatostatin, six both of these peptides, one serotonin, two both gastrin and serotonin, and two tumors contained gastrin, serotonin and somatostatin. Ganglioneuromatous paragangliomas combined somatostatin and/or pancreatic polypeptide containing endocrine cells with protein-S100-positive Schwann cells. In four tumors no peptide or amine was demonstrated. Gastrin cell tumors (63.6% of our cases), both functionally active (gastrinomas) and clinically silent, predominated in the proximal duodenum, while somatostatin cell tumors (15.1%) and paragangliomas were mostly found in the periampullary region. Two tumors were classified as malignant on the basis of lymph node metastases, and both were jejunal gastrinomas associated with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. Two somatostatin cell tumors had manifestations of von Recklinghausen's disease.

Adenoma, Islet Cell

Development of neuroendocrine tumors in the gastrointestinal tract of transgenic mice. Heterogeneity of hormone expression.

Expression of hormones in endocrine tumors and derived cell lines of transgenic mice carrying insulin-promoted oncogenes has been investigated by histochemical, immunohistochemical, ultrastructural, and radioimmunologic means. Tumors of the pancreas, small intestine, mesentery, and liver were examined. Insulin-immunoreactive cells were prevalent in pancreatic tumors, with a significant subpopulation of pancreatic polypeptide-immunoreactive elements. Conventional ultrastructural and immunogold analysis identified insulin-storing beta granules in pancreatic tumor cells. In contrast, the largest immunoreactive subpopulation of intestinal tumors expressed secretin (53% of total cells), followed by proglucagon-related peptides (15%), glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (7%), gastrin (7%), pancreatic polypeptide (2%), neurotensin (2%), and somatostatin (1%). No detectable immunoreactivity for either insulin or serotonin was observed. Electron microscopy and immunogold labeling showed that intestinal tumor cells contained secretin-storing S-type granules. Lymph node and liver tumors contained secretin-immunoreactive cells with ultrastructural features similar to those of intestinal tumors. In addition, high levels of circulating insulinlike and secretinlike immunoreactants were detectable. Analogous hormone profiles were identified in tumor cell lines and culture media. Large T-antigen immunoreactivity was detected in all the nuclei of neoplastic cells, as well as in insulin-immunoreactive elements of non-neoplastic islets and pancreatic ducts and in some secretin-immunoreactive cells of small intestinal mucosa. These data indicate that neuroendocrine tumors arise both in beta cell and S-cell subpopulations of transgenic mice.

Animals

Transgenic mouse models and peptide producing endocrine tumours: morpho-functional aspects.

Three transgenic mouse models which proved to develop endocrine tumours are reviewed and discussed. The neoplasms were induced through the production of the transforming oncoprotein simian virus 40 (SV40) large T-antigen. The SV40/metallothionein-growth hormone (MGH), the insulin/SV40 (INS/SV40) and the vasopressin/SV40 (AVP/SV40) transgenic mice models all developed endocrine tumours of pancreas mainly composed of insulin-producing B cells, with a minor PP cell component. In the pancreata of INS/SV40 and AVP/SV40 transgenic mice, non-tumour lesions (hyperplasia and dysplasia) were also described. AVP/SV40 transgenic mice presented tumour genesis in anterior pituitary too. The usefulness of transgenic mouse models in reproducing human pathology is outlined with special reference to genetically dependent tumours.

Animals

Calbindin 28 kDa in endocrine cells of known or putative calcium-regulating function. Thyro-parathyroid C cells, gastric ECL cells, intestinal secretin and enteroglucagon cells, pancreatic glucagon, insulin and PP cells, adrenal medullary NA cells and some pituitary (TSH?) cells.

The distribution of calbindin in some endocrine glands (thyroid, parathyroid, ultimobranchial body, pituitary and adrenals) and in the diffuse endocrine cells of the gut and pancreas has been investigated immunohistochemically using an antiserum raised against the 28 kDa calbindin from chicken duodenum. The identity of calbindin-immunoreactive cells in a number of avian and mammalian species was ascertained by comparison with hormone-reactive cells in consecutive sections or by double immunostaining of the same section with both calbindin and hormone antibodies. Calcitonin-producing C cells of the mammalian and avian thyroid, parathyroid or ultimobranchial body, PP, glucagon and insulin cells of the mammalian and avian pancreas, enteroglucagon cells of the avian intestine, secretin cells of the mammalian duodenum, histamine-producing ECL cells of the mammalian stomach, as well as noradrenaline-producing cells of the adrenal medulla and some (TSH?) cells of the adenohypophysis were among the calbindin-immunoreactive cells. Although some species variability has been observed in the intensity and distribution of the immunoreactivity, especially in the pancreas and the gut, a role for calbindin in the mechanisms of calcium-mediated endocrine cell stimulation or of intracellular and extracellular calcium homeostasis is suggested.

Animals