HYPERPLASIA OF GASTRIC ANTRAL BETA-MICROSEMINOPROTEIN ENDOCRINE-LIKE CELLS AND INCREASED SERUM LEVELS OF BETA-MICROSEMINOPROTEIN IN ATROPHIC CORPUS GASTRITIS

Background: beta-Microseminoprotein is a 94-kDa protein present on mos t mucosal surfaces in the body. It is produced in mucin cells but is a lso found in a particular type of cells (E-cells) in the gastric antra l mucosa. Most of these cells also contain gastrin. In atrophic corpus gastritis the gastrin-producing cells become hyperplastic, and the pa tients have hypergastrinemia. We wanted to ascertain whether there is a similar effect on the E-cells and on the concentration of beta-micro seminoprotein in serum. Methods: Antral biopsy specimens from 10 patie nts with atrophic corpus gastritis and 10 controls were stained immuno histochemically for beta-microseminoprotein and gastrin. beta-Microsem inoprotein and gastrin were measured by radioimmunoassay in serum from 15 women with atrophic corpus gastritis and 31 healthy female blood d onors. Results: There was a 3.5-fold increase of the number of E-cells (which also were hypertrophic) and a 2.1 times higher serum concentra tion of beta-microseminoprotein in the patients with atrophic corpus g astritis than in the control subjects. Gastrin was seen in 28% of the E-cells in patients with atrophic corpus gastritis, compared with 87% in normal antral mucosa. There was no correlation between the serum co ncentrations of beta-microseminoprotein and gastrin. Conclusions: in a trophic corpus gastritis antrum E-cells undergo hyperplasia and hypert rophy, and the proportion of E-cells containing gastrin decreases. Inc reased amounts of beta-microseminoprotein are secreted to the blood bu t uncorrelated with gastrin.