ENTEROCHROMAFFIN CELL-DENSITY IN THE GASTRIC-MUCOSA OF PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC-RENAL-FAILURE

Thirty patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) and 30 age- and sex-m atched controls were assessed for gastrointestinal diseases by gastros copy, serum gastrin determination, and routine clinical and laboratory evaluation. Biopsy specimens from their gastric oxyntic mucosa were i mmunohistochemically stained with monoclonal antibodies against seroto nin (5-hydroxytryptamine) and chromogranin A, the latter staining all gastric endocrine cells, the former disclosing serotonin-containing en terochromaffin (EC) cells only. The average EC cell density (cells/mm( 2)) in the CRF patients was significantly lower than in the controls: 2.6 vs 12.9 (p=0.0005). The EC cell counts also correlated negatively with serum gastrin values (p=0.0031). The densities of the chromograni n-positive cells did not differ between CRF patients (74 cells/mm(2)) and controls (76 cells/mm(2)) (p=0.7559). We conclude that, in additio n to the previously known findings of hypoacidity, persistent hypergas trinaemia, and G and parietal cell hyperplasia, CRF also reduces the n umber of oxyntic EC cells. The negative correlation between EC cell de nsity and serum gastrin levels reflects the complex interplay between different endocrinological activities in the gastrointestinal tract.