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Mast cell density, neuronal hypertrophy and nerve growth factor expression in patients with acute appendicitis
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Abstract
The aim of this study was to immunohistochemically investigate the relationship between MCD, nervous system and NGF expression in the appendices of cases with clinically and histopathologically diagnosed acute appendicitis and of normal controls.
Twenty-five patients with acute appendicitis and twelve normal controls were included in our study. Mast cell tryptase, PGP 9.5 and anti-NGF immunostained tissue sections were subjected to quantitative image analysis.
Our results showed that MCD, the number of Schwann cells, the number and size of ganglia and NGF staining were significantly greater in acute appendicitis than in the control group (p < 0.01). A strong correlation between MCD and NGF staining was detected (r = 0.92) only in cases with acute appendicitis. Similarly MCD was also related to neuronal proliferation and hypertrophy in this group. We failed to detect any relationship between NGF staining and neural components either in the acute appendicitis or control groups.
Our findings indicate that mast cells could be one of the important cell populations responsible for nerve proliferation and hypertrophy in acute appendicitis.
The relationship between NGF staining and MCD and the lack of correlation between NGF staining and changes in neural components suggest that, in acute appendicitis, NGF might be responsible for the increased number of MCs, but not for neuronal proliferation and hypertrophy.
Abstract
The aim of this study was to immunohistochemically investigate the relationship between MCD, nervous system and NGF expression in the appendices of cases with clinically and histopathologically diagnosed acute appendicitis and of normal controls.
Twenty-five patients with acute appendicitis and twelve normal controls were included in our study. Mast cell tryptase, PGP 9.5 and anti-NGF immunostained tissue sections were subjected to quantitative image analysis.
Our results showed that MCD, the number of Schwann cells, the number and size of ganglia and NGF staining were significantly greater in acute appendicitis than in the control group (p < 0.01). A strong correlation between MCD and NGF staining was detected (r = 0.92) only in cases with acute appendicitis. Similarly MCD was also related to neuronal proliferation and hypertrophy in this group. We failed to detect any relationship between NGF staining and neural components either in the acute appendicitis or control groups.
Our findings indicate that mast cells could be one of the important cell populations responsible for nerve proliferation and hypertrophy in acute appendicitis.
The relationship between NGF staining and MCD and the lack of correlation between NGF staining and changes in neural components suggest that, in acute appendicitis, NGF might be responsible for the increased number of MCs, but not for neuronal proliferation and hypertrophy.
Keywords
acute appendicitis; mast cell; nerve growth factor; neuronal hypertrophy; image analysis
Title
Mast cell density, neuronal hypertrophy and nerve growth factor expression in patients with acute appendicitis
Journal
Issue
Article type
Original article
Pages
237-243
Published online
2002-08-29
Page views
506
Article views/downloads
1325
Bibliographic record
Folia Morphol 2002;61(4):237-243.
Keywords
acute appendicitis
mast cell
nerve growth factor
neuronal hypertrophy
image analysis
Authors
Nigar Coskun
Muaffer Sindel
Gulsum Ozlem Elpek