Immunohistochemical localization of brain-gut hormones in gastric carcinoma with relation to argyrophil cells.

A total of 87 surgical cases of gastric carcinoma including 3 carcinoid tumors were investigated with the methods of silver reaction and immunoperoxidase stain for 8 different brain-gut hormones. Argyrophil (AP) cells were demonstrated in 38 cases (44%), argentaffin (AF) cells in 18 (21%) and endocrine cells in 13 (14%). The occurrence of endocrine cells had no relation with histological types. Glicentin cells were demonstrated in 10 cases, somatostatin in 7, motilin in 3, beta-endorphin in 2 and gastrin in one. Endocrine cells appeared generally in small numbers except one carcinoid tumor which had numerous somatostatin cells. No single cell positive for more than two kinds of hormones could be demonstrated. Two undifferentiated carcinomas looking like carcinoid tumors had argyrophil cells and endocrine cells of either somatostatin or beta-endorphin. These results suggest that carcinoid-like carcinoma or endocrine cell carcinoma may lie on the intermediate state between carcinoma and carcinoid tumor.