Endocrine cells in the intestinal metaplasia of gastric mucosa.

Sections of gastric mucosa removed during surgery for cancer or peptic ulcer and containing regions of intestinal metaplasia were studied by the immunofluorescence technique using several antiserums against intestinal hormones. Endocrine cells such as cells containing somatostatin, glicentin (gut GLI-I), motilin, and probably cholecystokinin were found within metaplastic intestinal epithelium while secretin and neurotensin, which are present in the normal intestinal mucosa, were not detected in metaplastic epithelium. The endocrine-cell population present in the intestinal metaplasia resembles that found in the cryptal region of the normal small intestine, a finding in accordance with the fact that intestinal metaplasia of gastric mucosa usually reproduces structural and histochemical characteristics of small intestinal crypts.