Adachi Yasushi, Ishii Yoshifumi, Yoshimoto Mitsuru, Yoshida Yukinari, Endo Takao, Yamamoto Hiroyuki, Akashi Hirofumi, Imai Kohzoh, Shinomura Yasuhisa, Kato Yasuo
Internal Medicine, Sapporo Shirakabadai Hospital, 2-18 Higashi Tsukisamu, Sapporo, 062-0052, Japan.
J Gastroenterol. 2008;43(8):626-31. doi: 10.1007/s00535-008-2207-4. Epub 2008 Aug 17.
Interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs) are detected as a pacemaker of gastrointestinal movement and express c-kit and CD34. Recently, ICCs have implicated pathogenesis in several human diseases presenting gastrointestinal motor dysfunction. This study was performed to clarify the role of ICCs in idiopathic sigmoid megacolon using histological and immunohistochemical examinations.
Four adult patients with idiopathic sigmoid megacolon and 11 controls were studied. Histology and immunocytochemistry using NSE, S100, c-kit, and CD34 were performed in conjunction with quantitative analysis using the public domain NIH image program.
Little histological change in neuromuscular structures in megacolon was observed. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated remarkable decrease of c-kit expressing ICCs without reduction of CD34 expression in the similar interstitial cell population. This observation was further supported by quantitative assessment using public domain NIH image program.
A specific downregulation of c-kit in ICCs may be a cause of idiopathic sigmoid megacolon in adults.
Cajal间质细胞（ICCs）被检测为胃肠运动的起搏器，并表达c-kit和CD34。最近，ICCs与几种表现为胃肠运动功能障碍的人类疾病的发病机制有关。本研究旨在通过组织学和免疫组织化学检查阐明ICCs在特发性乙状结肠巨结肠中的作用。
研究了4例成年特发性乙状结肠巨结肠患者和11例对照。使用NSE、S100、c-kit和CD34进行组织学和免疫细胞化学检查，并结合使用公共领域的NIH图像程序进行定量分析。
在巨结肠中未观察到神经肌肉结构的明显组织学变化。免疫组织化学显示，在相似的间质细胞群体中，表达c-kit的ICCs显著减少，而CD34表达未降低。使用公共领域的NIH图像程序进行的定量评估进一步支持了这一观察结果。
ICCs中c-kit的特异性下调可能是成人特发性乙状结肠巨结肠的一个原因。
