COLONIC ENDOCRINE-CELLS IN PATIENTS WITH CARCINOMA OF THE COLON

Objective To investigate the colonic endocrine cells in patients with colon carcinoma in order to establish a possible abnormality. Patients Twelve patients with colon adenocarcinoma (eight women and four men; mean age 69 years; range 52-88 years) were studied, As controls, macro scopically and histologically normal tissues from the colon of 12 pati ents (eight women and four men; mean age 66 years; range 34-86 years) were examined. These patients suffered from polyps, prolapsus, chronic diverticulitis, volvulus or haemorrhoids. Methods Macroscopically and histologically normal tissues from the colon of the patients, about 1 0 cm from the tumour, and of the controls were examined. Endocrine cel ls were immunostained with the avidin-biotin-complex method, and were quantified by computer image analysis using an automatic standard sequ ence analysis operation, Three parameters were used: (1) the number of endocrine cells per mm(3) of epithelial cells; (2) the cell secretory index (CSI); and (3) the nuclear volume. Results The numbers of somat ostatin- and serotonin-immunoreactive cells were significantly reduced in patients with colon carcinoma (P = 0.03 and 0.009, respectively), There was no difference between patients and controls regarding the nu mbers of PYY-, PP-, and enteroglucagon-immunoreactive cells. The CSI o f somatostatin- and serotonin-immunoreactive cells were significantly decreased. There was no difference in the CSI between the patients and controls regarding PYY-, PP- or enteroglucagon-immunoreactive cells. The nuclear volumes of PYY- and enteroglucagon-immunoreactive cells in creased significantly in the patients, The nuclear volume of PP-, soma tostatin- and serotonin cells did not differ from those of the control s. Conclusion The present results support the assumption that a distur bance in the colonic neuroendocrine system occurs in patients with col on carcinoma, which might affect the development of the tumour, The de crease in the number and CSI of somatostatin cells may account for the decrease of the colonic content of this peptide observed previously i n these patients, The decrease in the number and CSI of serotonin-immu noreactive cells in patients with colon adenocarcinoma might be a meth od by which the body defends itself against this mitogenic substance, Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 10:517-522 (C) 1998 Lippincott-Raven Publi shers.