Abstract
We report a case of a human gastric composite tumor occurring seven years after a partial gastrectomy for a low grade B cell MALT lymphoma. Histological examination of the tumor revealed two intimately intermingled components:
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1.
A moderately to poorly differentiated tubulo-acinar adenocarcinoma with signetring cells; and
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2.
Isolated or clustered small neuroendocrine cells without atypia expressing chromogranin A, somatostatin and/or glucagon, serotonin (5-HT) and, the 5-HT2B receptors. In addition to immunohistochemical detection, the presence of 5-HT2B receptors was shown pharmacologically through [125l]-DOI binding.
Since 5-HT2B receptors have been demonstrated to have autocrine functions and, mitogenic and transforming properties, these results suggest a role of 5-HT in neuroendocrine malignant transformation. On the other hand, the expression of somatostatin and the detection by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of somatostatin receptor subtypes 2, 3, and 5, which have been shown to be involved in tumor regression, might account for the long evolution of this case (>5 yr). This case illustrates the importance of local humoral modulation in tumor growth. Moreover, ultrastructural results favor a unique origin of the tumor cells from one amphicrine cell type.
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Brouland, JP., Manivet, P., Brocheriou-Spelle, I. et al. Histological, immunohistochemical, ultrastructural and biochemical study of human gastric composite tumor: Expression of the serotonin-2B receptor by the neuroendocrine component. Endocr Pathol 12, 77–86 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1385/EP:12:1:77
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1385/EP:12:1:77