Correlation between mast cells and survival rates in patients with pulmonary adenocarcinoma

Background: A retrospective study on the correlation between mast cells and survival rates of 90 pulmonary adenocarcinoma patients is reported. Method s: Surgical specimens were stained with alcian blue and safranin O, and par enchymal mast cells were counted. Based on the counts, the patients were di vided into two groups: Group A had mast cell counts of > 20/microscopic fie ld; Group B, < 20. TNM staging and histological findings were recorded for both groups. Phenotypes of mast cells were determined using enzymehistochem istry. Total count numbers, the histological differentiation of adenocarcin omas, and phenotypes were evaluated with regard to patient survival rates. Results: Group A had a 5-year survival rate of 45.85% as compared with Grou p B's rate of 16.32% (P < 0.01). Group A also represented a higher percenta ge of well-differentiated adenocarcinomas. In both cancerous tissue and nor mal lung tissue, the predominant mast cell phenotype was MCT. Conclusions: There appears to be a direct relationship between the number of mast cells and clinical outcome in patients with pulmonary adenocarcinoma, even though the mast cells exhibited no significant phenotypic changes. (C) 1999 Elsev ier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.