Differing microvasculature in the two major types of gastric carcinoma: a conventional, ultrastructural and ultrastructural immunolocalization study of von Willebrand factor.

The microvasculature of the stroma of human gastric carcinoma was studied by immuno-electron microscopy for factor VIII/von Willebrand factor (vWF) and conventional electron microscopy. In differentiated type (intestinal) gastric carcinoma (9 cases), capillaries were distributed more densely around carcinoma cell nests. vWF was localized in endothelial cells and neighbouring stroma. Ultrastructurally, capillary endothelial cells showed considerable hypertrophic changes with well-developed rough endoplasmic reticulum (rER). vWF was localized in well-developed rER, granules, Weibel-Palade bodies (WPB), in the vascular lumen as clusters, and diffusely deposited in the subendothelium. This indicates that endothelial cells in this group are transformed into a state of active protein production. In undifferentiated type (diffuse) gastric carcinoma (12 cases), capillaries were uniformly distributed and endothelial hypertrophic changes were less remarkable. vWF was localized in WPB, scanty rER and subendothelial matrix. Solid capillary buds were observed in both types; they were composed of a solid strand of endothelial cells without a visible lumen. Our results reveal that the microvasculature in tumour stroma differs significantly according to its histological type.