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Neurocristopathy, neuroendocrine pathology and the APUD concept

Neruocristopathie, Neuroendokrine und das AUPD-Kinzept

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Summary

The neurosecretory cells of the hypothalamus, and the cells of the pituitary gland and the pineal, are here grouped together as a central neuroendocrine division of the APUD series. The larger, peripheral division comprises the remainder of the original series. All the cells are proven or presumptive derivatives of neuroectoderm so that, with the present exception of the parathyroid gland and its products, peptide hormone endocrinology becomes neuroendocrinology.

It follows that the pathology of the APUD cell series must be regarded as neuroendocrine and it is suggested that it can best be expressed by the term neurocristopathy (Bolande, 1974). Tumours of the series, properly neurocristomas, are preferably called apudomas because their common cytochemical (APUD) and ultrastructural characteristics provide the pathologist with a ready means of diagnosis.

Zusammenfassung

Die neurosekretorischen Zellen des Hypothalamus und die Zellen der Hypo- und Epiphyse werden als zentraler neuroendokriner Teil des APUD-Zellsystems zusammengefaßt. Der größere periphere Teil des Systems umfaßt die übrigen Zellen des ursprünglichen APUD-Systems. Alle diese Zellen sind sichere oder wahrscheinliche Abkömmlinge des Neuroektoderms, so daß also mit Ausnahme der Parathyreoidea und ihrer Abkömmlinge die Endokrinologie der Peptidhormone zur Endoneuroendokrinologie wird.

Daraus folgt, daß auch die Pathologie des APUD-Zellsystems als neuroendokrin angesehen werden muß, was am besten durch die Bezeichnung Neurocristopathie (Bolande, 1974) ausgedrückt werden kann. Für die Tumoren dieses Systems, also eigentlich Neurocristome, wird aber die Bezeichnung APUDome vorgezogen, da ihre gemeinsamen zytochemischen (APUD) und ultrastrukturellen Eigenschaften dem Pathologen gute diagnostische Möglichkeiten bieten.

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  1. Royal Postgraduate Medical School, W12 OHS, London, England

    A. G. E. Pearse

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Pearse, A.G.E. Neurocristopathy, neuroendocrine pathology and the APUD concept. Z. Krebsforsch. 84, 1–18 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00305684

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