Morphological and molecular pathological study of mucin -depleted foci as the preneoplastic lesion for depressed flat type on colon carcinogenesis

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Mucin-depleted foci (MDF), formed by dysplastic crypts devoid of mucin production, have identified in the colon of carcinogen-treated rodents. MDF are correlated with colon carcinogenesis and seemed to serve as precancerous lesion of flat-depressed colorectal cancer (CRC). We have, therefore, searched for MDF in sporadic CRC patients in larger sample size to reveal the histological characteristics of human MDF. Methods : Colonic samples from 53 patients of sporadic CRC were stained with Alcian blue and examined the presence of MDF. In the same samples, we also examined the presence of ACF and noticed that some MDF have ACF-like appearance. We defined these lesions as "protruded MDF" and analyzed histological features of these colonic mucosal lesions (ACF, MDF and protruded MDF). Results : We found a total of 354, 41 and 19 colonic mucosal lesions with a mean multiplicity of 44, 38.9 and 66.9 crypts (ACF, MDF and protruded MDF, respectively). The density of MDF like lesions (MDF and protruded MDF) was 0.0082 lesions/cm^2. ACF from sporadic CRC patients were corresponding to hyperplastic or nondysplasic lesions. On the other hand, MDF and protruded MDF were corresponding to low grade of dysplasia. We also found that Paneth cell metaplasia and infiltration of inflammatory cells were specific feature of MDF like lesions. Conclusions : This is the first report that investigating density and histological features of MDF like lesions from sporadic CRC patients in large sample size. MDF and protruded MDF which having both MDF and ACF appearance were suggested to serve as more advanced preneoplastic lesions in human colorectal carcinogenesis.