Histochemical Study of Phosphorylase in Proliferating Cells of Intestinal Metaplasia and Carcinoma of the Human Stomach

A morphologic histochemical study of phosphorylase was carried out to investigate the relationship between gastric carcinoma and intestinal metaplasia. Intense phosphorylase activity was observed in the carcinoma cells, especially in well-differentiated adenocarcinoma, and in the proliferating cells of some intestinal metaplasias. Metaplastic epithelium other than the proliferating cells occasionally showed a positive reaction. Phosphorylase was negative in normal gastric epithelium, even in its proliferating cells. There was an apparent coincidence between the location of well-differentiated adenocarcinoma and the distribution of intestinal metaplasia, with the proliferating cells showing positive reaction for phosphorylase. These data suggest that the relationship between the proliferating cells of intestinal metaplasia showing phosphorylase activity and well-differentiated adenocarcinoma is apparently closer than the much-debated relationship between the epithelium of intestinal metaplasia and gastric carcinoma.