Epithelial repair in chronic gastric ulcers.

Features of epithelial repair, namely mitotic activity, cell migration, and cell differentiation have been investigated in 17 mucosal biopsy samples from the edges of chronic gastric ulcers in 16 patients, using light and electron microscopy. Results have shown that mitosis persists at the margins of these lesions and that mitotic figures are significantly more numerous in the region of chronic ulcers than in normal mucosa. Cells with the ultrastructural features of migratory cells are present but adjacent epithelium shows abnormalities of differentiation. Lack of cell production does not appear to be the limiting factor in epithelialization and some other cause such as an abnormality of cell or re-establishment must be sought.