Abstract
The colonic mucosa produces a protective and lubricating layer of mucus. In certain conditions, the quantity and quality of this mucus is impaired. This study assessed the histochemical changes in mucus in inflammatory bowel disease compared with the severity and extent of the condition. Biopsy specimens were taken from 62 patients (32 with ulcerative colitis; ten with colonic Crohn's disease; ten with diverticular disease; ten with normal controls) and sections stained with high iron diamine-alcian blue to distinguish sulphated mucins from sialomucins. Normal subjects showed a predominance of sulphated mucins. The patients with Crohn's and diverticular disease also demonstrated this normal pattern. Of the 20 patients with ulcerative colitis, and without demonstrable dysplastic changes, only one showed a moderate increase in sialomucins. However, of the 12 patients with extensive colitis and dysplastic changes, ten had an increase in sialomucins. Thus, the predominant sialomucin pattern was seen mainly in patients with dysplasia. It may, therefore, indicate patients at high risk of malignancy.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Lennard-Jones JE, Morson BC, Ritchie JK, Shove DC, Williams BC. Cancer in colitis: assessment of the individual risk by clinical and histological criteria. Gastroenterology 1977;73:1280–9.
Darke SG, Parks AG, Grogono JL, Pollock DJ. Adenocarcinoma and Crohn's disease: a report of 2 cases and analysis of the literature. Br J Surg 1973;60:169–75.
Greenstein AJ, Sachar D, Pucillo A, et al. Cancer in Crohn's disease for diversionary surgery: a report of seven carcinomas occurring in excluded bowel. Am J Surg 1978;135:86–90.
Morson BC, Pang LS. Rectal biopsy as an aid to cancer control in ulcerative colitis. Gut 1967;8:423–34.
Filipe MI. Value of histochemical reactions for mucosubstances in the diagnosis of certain pathological conditions of the colon and rectum. Gut 1969;10:577–86.
Traynor O, Costa N, Wood CB. Early structural changes in rat colonic mucosa during carcinogenesis. Br J Surg 1981;68:351.
Isaacson P, Attwood PR. Failure to demonstrate specificity of the morphological and histochemical changes in mucosa adjacent to colonic carcinoma (transitional mucosa). J Clin Pathol 1979;32:214–8.
Spicer SS. Diamine methods for differentiating mucosubstances histochemically. J Histochem Cytochem 1965;13:211–34.
Habib NA, Dawson PM, Blount MA, Krausz T, Rifaat MA, Wood CB. A study of the histochemical changes in mucin from normal and tumor bearing mucosa in patients with colorectal cancer. Eur J Surg Oncol 1985;11:243–5.
Habib MA, Salem R, Luck RJ, Blount MA, Rifaat MA, Wood CB. A histochemical method that predicts local recurrence after curative resection in carcinoma of the colon and rectum. Surg Gynecol Obstet 1984;159:436–8.
Mottet NK. Histopathological spectrum of regional enteritis and ulcerative colitis: major problems in pathology. Vol. 2. Toronto: WB Saunders, 1971.
Goligher JC. Ulcerative colitis London: Bailliere Tindall & Cassell, 1979:689–826.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
About this article
Cite this article
Habib, N.A., Dawson, P.M., Krausz, T. et al. A study of histochemical changes in mucus from patients with ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, and diverticular disease of the colon. Dis Colon Rectum 29, 15–17 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02555277
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02555277