RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Relation between the mucosal flora and Paneth cell population of human jejunum and ileum.
JF Journal of Clinical Pathology
JO J Clin Pathol
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Association of Clinical Pathologists
SP 1268
OP 1271
DO 10.1136/jcp.37.11.1268
VO 37
IS 11
A1 M E Elmes
A1 M R Stanton
A1 C H Howells
A1 G H Lowe
YR 1984
UL http://jcp.bmj.com/content/37/11/1268.abstract
AB The Paneth cell population in surgically resected human jejunum and ileum was estimated using image analysis of the granule area in patients who had not received antibiotics. The mucosa was cultured aerobically and anaerobically. In the jejunum 22 samples were sterile and five yielded bacteria; in the ileum four were sterile and three were non-sterile. The mean Paneth cell granule area in the sterile jejunum was 122.7 +/- 37.2 micron2 and in the non-sterile samples 67.2 +/- 36.6 micron2 (p less than 0.006). The corresponding values for the ileum were 137.9 +/- 109.8 and 100.5 +/- 9.1 (NS). Thus an increase in the Paneth cell population may occur in response to changes in the intestinal luminal environment. Failure of this response and resultant Paneth cell deficiency may lead to bacterial overgrowth.