Immunohistochemical detection of O-acetylated sialomucins in intestinal metaplasia and carcinoma of the stomach

Eighty-two selected gastric mucosal biopsy or resection specimens were stained both conventionally, to classify subtypes of intestinal metaplasia and carcinoma, and immunohistochemically with a mouse monoclonal antibody (MMM-17), raised against normal human colonic mucin, which has an affinity for di- and/or tri-O-acetylated sialomucin. The aims of the study were to reassess the prevalence of O-acetylated sialomucins in normal, metaplastic and carcinomatous gastric mucosa and to investigate whether the production of these mucins by intestinal metaplasia is related to its associated mucosal pathology. O-acetylated sialomucins were not seen in normal mucosa. They were, however, prevalent in all sub-types of metaplastic (64.8%) and carcinomatous (42.9%) mucosa. Type 1 intestinal metaplasia was significantly more likely to contain this type of mucin if Helicobacter pylori infection was identifiable in the adjacent gastric mucosa (81.0% v. 38.5%, P < 0.025). Type 3 showed a similar, albeit nonsignificant, relationship (100% v. 62.5%). O-acetylated sialomucins are, therefore, much more prevalent in gastric intestinal metaplasia and carcinoma than previously recognized by conventional staining techniques. The production of this type of mucin by intestinal metaplasia may reflect an adaptive response to alterations in the luminal environment such as an increase in bacterial content.     

Coexistence of gastric- and intestinal-type endocrine cells in gastric and intestinal mixed intestinal metaplasia of the human stomach

Intestinal metaplasia (IM) in the human stomach has previously been classified into a gastric and intestinal mixed (GI-IM) and a solely intestinal phenotype (I-IM). The phenotypes of mucous and endocrine cells were evaluated in 3034 glandular ducts associated with chronic gastritis. In the pyloric region, the relative expression of gastric endocrine cell markers, such as gastrin and somatostatin, decreased gradually from glandular ducts with only gastric mucous cell phenotype (G type) to GI-IM toward I-IM, while that of the intestinal endocrine cell markers, glicentin, gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP), and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) was inversely correlated. In the fundic region, gastrin-positive cells emerged in the pseudo-pyloric and GI-IM glands, whereas I-IM glands did not possess any gastrin-positive cells, suggesting the presence of a distinct pathway of intestinalization. Double staining revealed coexistence of gastrin- and GLP-1-positive cells in the same gland and occasionally in the same cell in GI-IM glands. These results suggest that the phenotypes of endocrine cells are in line with those for mucous counterparts and support the concept that all of the different types of mucous and endocrine cells in normal and IM glands might be derived from a single progenitor cell in each gland.     

Gastric and intestinal mixed and solely intestinal types of intestinal metaplasia in the human stomach

To generate a novel understanding of Intestinal metaplasia (IM) on the basis of cellular differentiation status, a total of 132 gastric surgical specimens were studied using gastric and small intestinal cell markers by much histochemical and Immunohistochemical techniques. The cases were divided into two types: (i) gastric and intestinal (GI) mixed type; and (ii) solely intestinal (I) type, with the reference to the presence of gastric and/or intestinal cell markers. The GI mixed type was subdivided into six subtypes: (i) a subtype consisting of surface mucous (Su), pyloric gland (Py), Intestinal absorptive (Ab), and goblet (Go) cells, but lacking Paneth (Pa) cells, GI(Pa-); (ii) a GI(Pa-) subtype without Py cells, GI(Py-, Pa-); (iii) a GI(Pa-) subtype without Su cells, GI(Su-, Pa-); (iv) a GI(Su-, Pa-) subtype with Pa cells, GI(Su-, Pa+); (v) a Gi(Pa-) subtype with Pa cells, GI(Pa+); and (vi) a GI(Pa+) subtype without Py cells, GI(–, Pa+).The I type was subdivided Into: (I) a subtype consisting of cells with Ab and Go cells, I(Pa-); and (ii) a I(Pa-) subtype with Paneth cells, I(Pa+). The GI mixed subtypes, except for the GI(Py-, Pa-) and GI(Py-, Pa+), were characterized by Intestinalized gastric plts connected with underlying pyloric glands. Immunohistochemical staining of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) revealed a common prolifemtive cell zone between the two. The GI mixed type, especially the GI(Pa-) subtype, predominated in the pyloric mucose, while the I type was most frequent In the fundle region, suggesting that the pathogenesis of IM differs between these two locations. The results of the study confirm that IM is an abnormal and unstable differentiation status between the stomach and small Intestine.     

Glicentin-containing cells in intestinal metaplasia,adenoma and carcinoma of the stomach

Summary Glicentin-containing cells (Glic. cells) in intestinal metaplasia, adenoma and carcinoma of the stomach were examined using immunohistochemical techniques. Glic. cells first occurred in the gastric mucosa of the transitional area between metaplastic and intact gastric glands. They frequently showed hyperplasia or micronoduli in the budding area of the deeper metaplastic glands, but in completely intestinalized mucosa these endocrine cells decreased remarkably. Gastric adenomas with mild dysplasia had a good number of glicentin-immunoreactive cells which were located in the deeper adenoma glands. Gastrin- and somatostatin-positive cells were also detected in the adenomas. The incidence of glicentin-positive tumor cells was significantly higher in well differentiated adenocarcinoma than in poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. Among the seven cases of scirrhous argyrophil cell carcinoma, three showed glicentin- and glucagon-immunoreactivity in the same area of the tumor. These findings suggest that the selective increase of Glic. cells in intestinal metaplasia may be closely related to the development of gastric adenoma. Glicentin positive tumor cells in gastric carcinomas can be regarded to be an expression of intestinal or fetal markers.     

A variant of intestinal metaplasia associated with gastric carcinoma: a histochemical study

Gastrectomy specimens including 32 cases of carcinoma and 35 cases of peptic ulcer were examined in detail histologically and histochemically to show the distribution of intestinal metaplasia (IM) and types of mucin secreted. A variant of IM, with extensive involvement of both antrum and body and excessive secretion of sulphomucin, was found to be associated with carcinomas showing appreciable extracellular sulphomucin secretion. The identification of such a variant of IM may help the interpretation of gastric biopsies.     

Absence of BAT-26 instability in gastric intestinal metaplasia

BAT-26 instability, a sensitive marker for the high-frequency microsatellite instability (MSI-H) phenotype, was analyzed in samples of gastric cancer and in adjacent intestinal metaplastic mucosae. Although all MSI-H gastric cancer samples showed BAT-26 instability, as assessed using 12 dinucleotide microsatellite markers, BAT-26 instability was not found in the adjacent intestinal metaplastic mucosa in any of the samples.     

Tissue microarray analysis of multiple gene expression in intestinal metaplasia, dysplasia and carcinoma of the stomach

AIMS: To study multiple gene expression patterns and their roles in the process of gastric carcinogenesis. METHODS AND RESULTS: Using a high-throughput tissue microarray technique, 169 specimens from gastric carcinomas, precursor lesions and normal mucosa were immunostained on a series of tissue chips for p53, p21(WAF1/CIP1) cyclin E, Bcl-2, c-met and mucin 5AC expression. The overexpression of p53 was observed in 10.7% of low-grade dysplasia (LGD), 38.1% of high-grade dysplasia (HGD) and 39.6% of intestinal type gastric carcinoma (IGC). Expression of p21(WAF1/CIP1) was found in 47.6% of incomplete intestinal metaplasia (IM), 36.7% of dysplasia (Dys) and 29.5% of IGC. The overexpression of cyclin E was more frequently present in carcinomas than in Dys (P < 0.05); moreover, high-level expression (> 25% in extent) of cyclin E was observed only among IGC. Abnormal Bcl-2 expression was present in 81.0% of incomplete IM, 69.4% of Dys and 22.9% of IGC. Along with progression of the lesion, the expression of c-met increased; in contrast, mucin 5AC decreased gradually. CONCLUSIONS: The specific expression pattern in incomplete IM was mucin 5AC+/Bcl-2+/p53-/cyclin E-, while mucin 5AC-/cyclin E+ was specific for IGC. p53 was useful for distinguishing LGD from HGD. High-level expression of cyclin E might be an indicator for malignant transformation of dysplasia.     

Concurrent tubulovillous adenoma and transitional cell carcinoma associated with diffuse gastric and intestinal metaplasia of the defunctioned ureter

Villous adenoma is a common lesion of the gastrointestinal tract, but it is rare in the ureter. Thus, as far as we know, only one case limited to this location has been described. Intestinal metaplasia of the urothelium is not rare. However, only one case of gastric metaplasia with pseudopyloric glands has been described in the literature. We here report in detail on a tubulovillous adenoma of the ureter associated with diffuse gastric and intestinal metaplasia and a concurrent primary, solid, high grade transitional cell carcinoma, with extensive clear cell change, in a 56-year-old male patient. He had undergone a left nephrectomy for renal tuberculosis twenty years earlier, and the lesions developed in the ureteric stump. To the best of our knowledge, such a combination of lesions has not been reported previously either in the ureter or in the rest of the urinary tract. The coexistence of diverse lesions in our case might represent the pluripotentiality of the urothelium in association with chronic inflammation and neoplastic induction. The present report also emphasizes the metaplastic and malignant potential of a defunctioned urothelial structure. This case is of particular interest, because these coexistent lesions arose simultaneously with an anatomically separate adenocarcinoma of the rectum (Dukes' B). The patient died 76 days after admission. The dismal prognosis of our case was determined by the advanced anatomical stage and the histological high grade of the transitional cell carcinoma of the ureter.     

Expression of cytokeratins typical for ductal and squamous differentiation in the human stomach: an immunohistochemical study of normal foveolar epithelium, Helicobacter pylori gastritis and intestinal metaplasia

The expression of the cytokeratins (CK) 1, 5, 6, 7, 10, 13 and 14 was studied immunohistochemically in gastric biopsies from both the antrum and the body of 70 patients. Normal gastric foveolar epithelium (9 cases) Helicobacter pylori gastritis (23) and intestinal metaplasia (38) were examined. Positive staining results for CK 1, 5, 10 and 14 were not observed using the 34βE12 antibody. With antibodies to CK 5/6, 7 and 13 some, but not all cases, were immunoreactive. Predominantly positive staining included less than 10% of the cells and was always restricted to the tips and the juxtaluminal areas of the foveolae. No difference was seen between the antrum and the body. Comparing normal gastric mucosa with gastritis and intestinal metaplasia, cases positive for CK 5/6 were observed less frequently in intestinal metaplasia types II and III compared to the other groups. CK 7 was expressed exclusively in intestinal metaplasia. CK 13 was seen in all groups of specimens. Thus, cytokeratins typical for ductal structures (CK 7) and squamous epithelia (CK 5/6, CK 13) can be regarded as an inconstant, but not unusual observation in the gastric mucosa. Their expression may be controlled by both differentiation-related as well as environmental factors.     

The prognostic value of sulphomucin positive intestinal metaplasia in the development of gastric cancer

Gastric biopsy specimens from 230 patients with chronic atrophic gastritis were investigated with the use of mucin stains for the presence and type of intestinal metaplasia. Metaplasia was not shown in 59 cases; 92 of the 171 cases with metaplasia were sulphomucin positive and 79 were negative. The patients were followed-up from 1976 to 1985. Eight patients were registered as having gastric cancer over this period. However, five of them had to be eliminated from the study because on careful review of all the clinical data it was clear that they had gastric cancer at the time of the biopsy. Two of the three remaining patients had sulphomucin negative biopsies. Thus, only one patient out of 90 with chronic atrophic gastritis and sulphomucin positive intestinal metaplasia developed gastric cancer when followed-up for 8-9 years. None of the patients with unequivocal type IIb metaplasia developed gastric cancer. We conclude that sulphomucin positive intestinal metaplasia does not identify a high risk group and its recognition is thus of no value in surveillance for gastric cancer.     

The relation of pepsinogen group II (PGII) expression to intestinal metaplasia and gastric cancer

AIMS: A substantial minority of intestinal metaplasia (IM)-associated stomach cancers express a gastric product-pepsinogen group II (PGII). The aim of this study was to examine PGII expression as it relates to IM and to tumour heterogeneity. METHODS AND RESULTS: The extent of IM was divided into four levels: none, minimal, moderate, extensive. Stomach specimens (N = 165) were stained for PGII and two tumour markers, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFr) and p53. PGII was more likely to be expressed with moderate or extensive IM than with minimal or no IM (P = 0.05). Cancers that expressed PGII were more likely to be of high stage than those that did not (P = 0.035). Of 25 cases that expressed all three markers (PGII, EGFr, p53), 20 (80%) had stage 3 or 4 disease, compared with 11 (37%) advanced cancers expressing none of the markers (P = 0.001). Cancers expressing one or two markers were between these extremes. CONCLUSIONS: PGII+ cancers in IM-associated gastric cancers may derive from residual gastric glands, or may arise from postinduction reversion to a gastric phenotype from intestinalized cells. This is supported by the more frequent association of PGII expression with the most extensive degrees of IM and its association with high-stage cancers that display heterogeneity in tumour marker expression.     

CDX2 co-localizes with liver-intestine cadherin in intestinal metaplasia and adenocarcinoma of the stomach

CDX2 and liver-intestine (LI)-cadherin are intestine-specific markers and both are physiologically expressed in the small intestine and colon. Recent studies have demonstrated that CDX2 regulates LI-cadherin gene (CDH17) expression in colorectal cancer. The present study investigated the relationship of CDX2 and LI-cadherin expression in gastric cancer. One hundred and nine pairs of tumour and non-cancerous gastric mucosa were collected from gastrectomy specimens. Protein expression levels of CDX2 and LI-cadherin were determined by immunohistochemical staining. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR showed that the mRNAs of both CDX2 and CDH17 were highly expressed in tumour compared with non-cancerous mucosa. Overexpression of CDX2 was significantly associated with CDH17 in gastric adenocarcinoma. Furthermore, the expression of CDX2 and LI-cadherin proteins was strongly coupled in intestinal metaplasia. In conclusion, overexpression of CDH17 is significantly associated with CDX2.     

Argentaffin cells, intestinal metaplasia and antral metaplasia in carcinoma of the gall bladder

The occurrence of argentaffin cells, intestinal metaplasia, and antral metaplasia has been studied in 20 gall bladders with carcinomas, in a papilloma, and in 20 specimens of cholelithiasis. Argentaffin cells were present in six carcinomas, but in only one specimen were they present in large numbers. Only one adenocarcinoma contained occasional argyrophil cells and no argentaffin or argyrophil cells were seen in the papilloma. Five of the 20 specimens of cholelithiasis contained occasional argentaffin cells. Intestinal and antral metaplasia were found in four carcinomas, in the papilloma, and in seven of the 20 specimens of cholelithiasis. It is suggested that metaplastic changes may play a role in the pathogenesis of carcinoma of the gall bladder.     

Differences in genetic instability and cellular phenotype among Barrett's, cardiac, and gastric intestinal metaplasia in a Japanese population with Helicobacter pylori

Aims:  Intestinal metaplasia is considered to be a precursor lesion in both Barrett's and intestinal-type gastric cancer. The aim was to clarify the differences in molecular pathology between specialized intestinal metaplasia (SIM) in Barrett's oesophagus (BO), cardiac (CIM) and gastric intestinal metaplasia (GIM).
Methods and results:  Eighty-eight SIM cases with BO, 30 CIM cases and 52 GIM cases in patients with or without Helicobacter pylori infectionwere analysed for genetic instability and Das-1. Microsatellite instability and a loss of heterozygosity were evaluated at five microsatellite loci. The incidence of genetic instability was 55.7% in SIM, 40.0% in CIM and 23.1% in GIM, revealing a significant difference between SIM and GIM ( P  < 0.0005). For each microsatellite marker analysed, there were obvious differences in frequency among the three conditions. Das-1 reactivity was significantly higher in SIM than in CIM or GIM ( P  < 0.0001, both). Interestingly, both genetic instability and Das-1 reactivity in SIM showed a significantly higher incidence in patients with H. pylori infection than in those without ( P  < 0.005 and P  < 0.01, respectively).
Conclusions:  SIM is distinct from CIM and GIM, and the pathogenesis of SIM, like that of GIM, is associated to some degree with H. pylori infection in a Japanese population.     

Expression of trefoil peptides (TFF1, TFF2, and TFF3) in gastric carcinomas,intestinal metaplasia,and non-neoplastic gastric tissues

Trefoil factor family (TFF) domain peptides consist of three members that play a role in intestinal mucosal defence and repair, and in tumourigenesis. The role of the three TFF members in the gastric carcinogenesis cascade remains poorly defined. This study examined seven gastric cell lines, 50 gastric cancers and their adjacent non-cancer tissues, and tissues from 40 non-cancer patients, in order to elucidate the chronology of TFF expression in various stages of gastric carcinogenesis. TFF expression was determined by RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry, and western blot. Aberrant expression of TFF1, TFF2, and TFF3 was frequently detected in gastric cell lines. Specifically, TFF1 was detected in all non-cancer patients, but was detected in only 50% of gastric cancer and 66% of adjacent normal tissues. TFF2 expression was demonstrated in 87.5% of non-cancer patients, 34% of gastric carcinomas, and 58% of adjacent non-cancer tissues. There was a significant correlation between TFF1 and TFF2 expression in gastric cancer and adjacent non-cancer tissues (p<0.001). By contrast, TFF3 was detected in 25% of non-cancer patients and showed a predilection for areas with intestinal metaplasia (p=0.005). Sixty-two per cent of gastric cancers and 24% of neighbouring non-cancer tissues showed TFF3 expression. Immunoreactivity against TFF3 was demonstrated in goblet cells of intestinal metaplasia and within the cytoplasm and nuclei of tumour cells. Progressive loss of TFF1 and TFF2, together with the induction of TFF3, is likely to be involved in the early stage of the multi-step gastric carcinogenesis pathway.     

Endocrine cells in intestinal metaplasia of the stomach

In this study we have investigated the mucin profile and the endocrine cell population in gastric endoscopic biopsies from 22 patients affected by chronic gastritis and intestinal metaplasia and in five surgical specimens of stomachs removed because of intestinal-type carcinoma (4) or peptic ulcer (1). High iron diamine-Alcian blue (HID-Ab) staining and peptide immunocytochemistry (peroxidase anti-peroxidase technique) were used. Forty-one foci of intestinal metaplasia were detected, 15 produced sulphomucins and 26 sialomucins. Of the endocrine cells investigated, gastrin and somatostatin cells were the most frequently observed, while cholecystokinin, glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide-, secretin- and enteroglucagon-containing cells were also found in the metaplastic areas, but less frequently. No significant correlation was found between the type of mucin and the types of endocrine cells present, the latter usually resembling those normally found in the small intestine. On the basis of these results we conclude that intestinal metaplasia involves mucin- and peptide-producing cells of the stomach in a variable manner, with no correlation between the two.     

Histopathological differences in the development of small intestinal metaplasia between antrum and body of stomach

This study used mucin immunohistochemistry to investigate differences in the properties of intestinal metaplasia between the antrum and body of the stomach in 28 resected specimens. Intestinal metaplasia was classified as: (1) small intestinal metaplasia (SIM) with a tubule, including CD10-positive brush border on a background of MUC5AC-/ HGM-negative cells; or (2) goblet cell metaplasia (GCM) with MUC2-positive and CD10-negative cells. In the antrum, frequencies of SIM and GCM were nearly equal irrespective of metaplasia grade. Frequency and length of remnant pyloric gland for SIM were significantly greater in the antrum than in the body. In the proliferative zone, there existed a lower level in SIM than in non-intestinalized tubules. These findings suggest that the proliferative zone shifts from the neck zone toward the bottom of the tubule during the SIM process in the antrum. In the body, however, the grade of SIM grade was significantly higher than that of GCM. The proliferative zone was located higher in the fundic gland, pseudopyloric gland and SIM, in that order. Almost all remnant pyloric glands for SIM were negative for pepsinogen I. These facts indicate that SIM in the body originates in a proliferative zone that shifted downward to an area near the bottom of the tubule, with atrophic pyloric glands originating from pseudopyloric gland metaplasia.     

Two distinct pathways of tumorigenesis of adenocarcinomas of the esophagogastric junction, related or unrelated to intestinal metaplasia

It is still uncertain whether intestinal metaplasia (IM) of the esophagogastric junction (EGJ) plays a role in the development of adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction (AEGJ). The purpose of the present study was to clarify the relationship between AEGJ and IM in Japanese patients. Forty-eight AEGJ, <3 cm and centered within 1 cm of the EGJ, were investigated. The frequency of IM around AEGJ and the correlation between IM and clinicopathological features were examined. IM was present in the surrounding mucosa in 22 of 48 cases (46%), and was seen more frequently in older patients (P = 0.008). Lymph node metastasis was observed only in cases in which the tumors were not associated with IM (P = 0.017). The gastric phenotype was seen almost exclusively in the group without IM, while the intestinal phenotype was predominant in the group with IM (P = 0.003). The present study found a lower incidence of associated IM than Western studies, and there were significant differences in clinicopathological features between AEGJ with and without IM. It is suggested that AEGJ may develop via two distinct pathways in Japanese patients: IM-related and IM-unrelated.