Immunohistochemical investigation of gastrin-producing cells (G cells).The distribution of g cells in resected human stomachs.

Direct immunofluorescence technique with rhodamine-labelled rabbit anti-gastrin IgG conjugate was used for systematic mapping of the G-cell distribution in 16 resected stomachs (8 gastric ulcer patients and 8 duodenal ulcer patients with uraemia). Along the anatomical border of the proximal part of the antrum there was in both groups of patients a tranzitional zone with a low G-cell number per unit mucosa until the cells abruptly disappeared in the body of the stomach. The proximal end of the duodenum contained considerably fewer G cells than the antrum, and the number was equal in both groups. Within the antrum there was in the duodenal ulcer group a gradual increase in G-cell number from the proximal to the distal end, whereas in the gastric ulcer group no significant difference was found in different parts of the antrum. When corresponding antral parts were compared between the two groups, the only significant difference was that the distal part contained more G cells in the duodenal ulcer patients. In both groups the antral G-cell number showed no difference in circumferential distribution.