MAST-CELLS IN COLORECTAL NEOPLASIAS AND PREMALIGNANT DISORDERS

PURPOSE: Mast cells have recently been found to be well correlated wit h the prognosis of patients with rectal cancer. This work aimed to cha racterize the role of mast cells in colonic premalignant conditions. M ETHODS: blast cells were quantified in various colonic disorders, part icularly those with premalignant potential. Possible avenues of mast c ell action were investigated using these tissue samples, by measuring basement membrane and collagen layer thickening. RESULTS: The mean num ber of mast cells in carcinoma sections was 0.967/0.9 mm(2), in variou s colorectal neoplasias and related conditions: it ranged from 1.36-3/ 0.9 mm(2), and in normal histologic specimens it was These data establ ished statistically significant differences in mast cell numbers in th e colonic disorders studied. The number of mast cells is greatest in t he lamina propria level of the colon, a site often not examined becaus e of the limited depth of samples obtained from endoscopic biopsies. C ONCLUSIONS: Mast cell numbers were found to be correlated to the devel opment from premalignancy to colonic malignancy. Mast cells may be use ful as markers of colorectal neoplasia.