Summary
Immune characteristics of intestinal metaplasia of the stomach were analyzed by the immunoperoxidase technique in frozen and paraffin-embedded specimens. In fetal and minimally inflamed adult gastric mucosa, secretory component (SC) was absent from epithelial cells. Non-intestinalized gastric mucosa with evident inflammatory changes showed weak SC immunoreactivity at the generative cell zone. Enhanced immunoreactivity of SC with evidence of transepithelial transport of IgA and IgM, but not of IgG, was demonstrated in intestinalized glands of either the complete or incomplete type. The number of inflammatory cells and lymphoid follicles was decreased in intestinalized mucosa when compared with that in non-intestinalized gastritic mucosa; J chain-negative IgG plasma cells and T cells, both of which were fairly abundant in the latter mucosa, were remarkably decreased in the former mucosa, whereas the decrease of J chain-positive IgA or IgM plasma cells was slight or equivocal. In either mucosa, IgA was the most popular immunoglobulin class in plasma cells. IgD plasma cells were very rare. In the germinal centers of lymphoid follicles which were preferentially distributed in non-intestinalized gastritic mucosa, IgM or IgG germinocytes predominated over IgA germinocytes, and a few T cells and NK cells also were present. Intraepithelial lymphoid cells with a T-suppressor phenotype were detected in intestinalized glands. The possibility that intestinal metaplasia is an adaptation to long-standing chronic gastritis is discussed.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abe M, Ohuchi N, Sakano H (1974) Enzyme histo- and biochemistry of intestinalized gastric mucosa. Acta Histochem Cytochem 7:282–288
Abo T, Balch CM (1981) A differentiation antigen of human NK and K cells identified by a monoclonal antibody (HNK-1). J Immunol 127:1024–1029
Bataille D, Gespach C, Tatemoto K, Marie JC, Coudray AM, Rosselin G, Mutt V (1981) Bioactive enteroglucagon (oxyntomodulin): present knowledge on its chemical structure and its biological activities. Peptides 2 (Suppl 2):41–44
Beckman IGR, Bradley J, Brooks DA, Kupa A, McNamara PJ, Thomas ME, Zola H (1980) Human lymphocyte markers defined by antibodies derived from somatic cell hybrids. II. A hybridoma secreting antibody against an antigen expressed by human B and null lymphocytes.3 Clin Exp Immunol 40:593–601
Bloom SR, Polak JM (1981) Enteroglucagon and the gut hormone profile of intestinal adaptation. In: Robinson JWL, Dowling RH, Riecken E-O (eds) Mechanisms of intestinal adaptation. MTP Press, Lancaster, Boston, The Hague, pp 189–199
Bordi C, Ravazzola M (1979) Endocrine cells in the intestinal metaplasia of gastric mucosa. Am J Pathol 96:391–398
Brandtzaeg P, Gjeruldsen ST, Korsrud F, Baklien K, Berdal P, Ek J (1979) The human secretory immune system shows striking heterogeneity with regard to involvement of J chain-positive IgD immunocytes. J Immunol 122:503–510
Brown WR, Isobe Y, Nakane PK (1976) Studies on translocation of immunoglobulins across intestinal epithelium. II. Immunoelectronmicroscopic localization of immunoglobulins and secretory component in human intestinal mucosa. Gastroenterology 76:985–995
Brus I, Siegel H, Yamaguchi N, Glass GBJ (1968) Immunoglobulins IgA and IgG in gastric mucosa of patients with atrophic gastritis and pernicious anemia. Scand J Gastroenterol 3:43–57
Glass BGJ, Pitchumoni CS (1975) Atrophic gastritis: structural and ultrastructural alterations, exfoliative cytology and enzyme cytochemistry and histochemistry, proliferation kinetics, immunological derangements and other causes, and clinical associations and sequelae. Hum Pathol 6:219–250
Hasegawa H, Nagura H, Watanabe K, Ogoshi K, Mitomi T (1980) Immune- and enzyme histochemistry of intestinalized gastric mucosal cells. In: Tsuchiya M (ed) Digestive organ and immunology, no. 5, Ishiyaku-Shuppan, Tokyo, pp 64–70 (in Japanese)
Hashimoto M, Tokunaga A, Nishi K, Wada M, Masumori K, Kumagae Y, Numajiri H, Matsukura N, Yoshiyasu M, Tanaka N, Shirota A, Asano G (1983) [3]Thymidine autoradiographic and alkaline phosphatase histochemical studies of intestinal metaplasia of the human stomach. Histochem J 15:953–959
Hattori T, Fujita S (1979) Tritiated thymidine autoradiographic study on histogenesis and spreading of intestinal metaplasia in human stomach. Pathol Res Pract 164:224–237
Imai T, Kubo T, Watanabe H (1971) Chronic gastritis in Japanese with reference to high incidence of gastric carcinoma. J Natl Cancer Inst 47:179–195
Isaacson P (1982) Immunoperoxidase study of the secretory immunoglobulin system and lysozyme in normal and diseased gastric mucosa. Gut 23:578–588
Kapadia A, Feizi T, Jewell D, Keeling J, Slavin G (1981) Immunocytochemical studies of blood group A, H, I, and i antigens in gastric mucosae of infants with normal gastric histology and of patients with gastric carcinoma and chronic benign peptic ulceration. J Clin Pathol 34:320–337
Katsuyama T, Spicer SS (1978) Histochemical differentiation of complex carbohydrates with variants of the Concanavalin A-horseradish peroxidase method. J Histochem Cytochem 26:233–250
Ledbetter JA, Evans RL, Lipinski M, Cunningham-Rundles C, Good RA, Herzenberg LA (1981) Evolutionary conservation of surface molecules that distinguish T lymphocyte helper/ inducer and cytotoxic/suppressor subpopulation in mouse and man. J Exp Med 153:313–323
Matsukura N, Suzuki K, Kawachi T, Aoyagi M, Sugimura T, Kitaoka H, Numajiri H, Shirota A, Itabashi M, Hirota T (1980) Distribution of marker enzymes and mucin in intestinal metaplasia in human stomach and relation of complete and incomplete types of intestinal metaplasia to minute gastric carcinomas. J Natl Cancer Inst 65:231–240
Morise K (1982) Immunohistochemical studies on gastric tissues with intestinal metaplasia and cancer. Jpn J Gastroenterol 79:18–27 (in Japanese with English abstract)
Moszkowicz L (1924) Regeneration and Krebsbildung an der Magenschleimhaut. Arch Klin Chir 132:558–620
Nagura H, Tsutsumi Y, Shioda Y, Watanabe K (1983) Immunohistochemistry of gastric carcinomas and associated diseases. Novel distribution of carcinoembryonic antigen and secretory component on the surface of gastric cancer cells. J Histochem Cytochem 31:193–198
Nakamura K, Sugano H, Takagi K (1968) Carcinoma of the stomach in incipient phase. Its histogenesis and histological appearances. Gann 59:251–258
Nakane PK (1975) Recent progress in peroxidase-labeled antibody method. Ann NY Acad Sci 254:203–211
Nardelli J, Bara J, Rosa B, Burtin P (1983) Intestinal metaplasia and carcinomas of the human stomach. An immunohistological study. J Histochem Cytochem 31:366–375
Ogra PL, Karzon DT (1970) The role of immunoglobulins in the mechanism of mucosal immunity to virus infection. Pediatr Clin North Am 17:385–400
Ohta Y, Kino I, Kato Y, Aoyama Y (1979) The distribution and localization of immunoglobulin in the gastric mucosa and gastric cancer. Acta Pathol Jpn 29:523–531
Osamura RY, Watanabe K, Nakai Y, Imura H (1980) Adrenocorticotropic hormone cells and immunoreactiveβ-endorphin cells in human pituitary gland. Normal and pathologic conditions studied by the peroxidase-labeled antibody method. Am J Pathol 99:105–124
Rubin W, Ross LL, Jeffries GH, Sleisenger MH (1967) Some physiologic properties of heterotopic intestinal epithelium. Its role in transporting lipid into the gastric mucosa. Lab Invest 16:813–827
Selby WS, Janossy G, Jewell DP (1981) Immunohistochemical characterization of intraepithelial lymphocytes of the human gastrointestinal tract. Gut 22:169–176
Shioda Y, Nagura H, Tsutsumi Y, Saito H, Tamaoki N (1983) Immunohistochemistry with monoclonal antibodies, with special reference to the analysis of interepithelial lymphocytes in the small intestine. In: Tsuchiya M (ed) Digestive organ and immunology, no 10, Ishiyaku-Shuppan, Tokyo, pp 149–154 (in Japanese)
Shioda Y, Nagura H, Tsutsumi Y, Shimamura K, Tamaoki N (1984) Distribution of Leu 7 (HNK-1) antigen in human digestive organs. An immunohistochemical study with monoclonal antibody. Histochem J 16 (in press)
Si L, Roscoe G, Whiteside TL (1983) Selective distribution and quantitation of T-lymphocyte subsets in germinal centers of human tonsils. Definition by use of monoclonal antibodies. Arch Pathol Lab Med 107:228–231
Si L, Whiteside TL (1983) Tissue distribution of human NK cells studied with anti-Leu-7 monoclonal antibody. J Immunol 130:2149–2155
Spicer SS (1965) Diamine methods for differentiating mucosubstances histochemically. J Histochem Cytochem 13:211–234
Sugano H, Nakamura K, Kato Y (1982) Pathological studies of human gastric cancer. Acta Pathol Jpn 32 (Suppl 2):329–347
Suzuki S, Suzuki H, Endo M, Takemoto T, Kondo T, Nakayama K (1973) Endoscopic dyeing method for diagnosis of early cancer and intestinal metaplasia of the stomach. Endoscopy 5:124–129
Taylor KB (1972) Immune mechanisms and diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. In: Badenoch J, Brooks BN (eds) Recent advances in gastroenterology. Churchill-Livingstone, London, pp 1-23
Tstusumi Y, Osamura RY, Nagura H, Watanabe K, Yanaihara N (1983a) Immunohistochemical studies on gastrointestinal hormones in the intestinal metaplasia of the stomach. In: Miyoshi A (ed) Gut peptides and ulcer, Biomedical Research Foundation, Tokyo, pp 171–179
Tsutsumi Y, Nagura H, Watanabe K, Yanaihara N (1983b) A novel subtyping of intestinal metaplasia of the stomach, with special reference to the histochemical characterizations of endocrine cells. Virchows Arch [Pathol Anat] 401:73–88
Wada T, Yachi A, Akahonai Y, Maeda S (1981) Gastric cancer and atrophic gastritis with intestinal metaplasia from the viewpoint of local immune responses in the gastric mucosa. Ital J Gastroenterol 13:89–93
Yamagiwa H (1977) Pathologic change of the RES in the gastric wall. Saishin-Igaku 32:758–767 (in Japanese)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Tsutsumi, Y., Nagura, H. & Watanabe, K. Immune aspects of intestinal metaplasia of the stomach: An immunohistochemical study. Vichows Archiv A Pathol Anat 403, 345–359 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00737285
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00737285