Mucin histochemistry of virus-induced duodenal adenomas in guinea fowl.

The type of mucoproteins in virus-induced duodenal adenomas in guinea fowl were compared with those in the normal duodenal mucosa. The mucin-producing cells in the latter contained a mixture of acid and neutral mucins. Neutral and sulphomucins prevailed in the crypts and in the lower part of the villi, while the amount of the sialomucins increased progressively toward the tip of the villi. In the adenomas, goblet cells were more numerous and were unevenly distributed. In their mucin profile the deeply located tumor glandular structures resembled normal crypts and lower parts of the villi and superficial portions of the adenomas were similar to the upper part of the villi. Qualitative changes in the mucin secretion with deviation from the normal vertical distribution of mucin types were rarely observed. The histochemical study carried out supplemented the histological characterization of the virus-induced duodenal adenomas and contributed to the elucidation of some aspects of their histogenesis.