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PMID: 193245 Published · ppublish English Journal Article

The endocrine cells of the pancreas and related tumours. Ultrastructural study and classification.

Virchows Archiv. A, Pathological anatomy and histology ·Vol. 373 ·No. 4 ·1977-04-29 ·Pages 327-52

Capella C, Solcia E, Frigerio B, Buffa R, Usellini L, Fontana P

Abstract

Up to seven endocrine cell types have been identified ultrastructurally in the pancreas, including glucagon A cells, insulin B cells, somatostatin D cells, pancreatic peptide F cells and 5-hydroxytryptamine EC cells. In addition, D1 cells, which have been proposed as the cell type producing VIP and possible P cells of unknown function are seen. Various patterns of endocrine cell differentiation have been found in 20 endocrine pancreatic tumours. Well and poorly differentiated B cells have been identified in 6 insulinomas, diagnostic G cells in 3 out of 7 gastrinomas, D1 and/or F cells in 7 diarrheogenic tumours. Moreover, cells apparently unrelated to the prevalent clinical syndrome have been noted in 8 of the 20 tumours. Granular non diagnostic cells (poorly diagnostic gastrin cells? D1 cells?) were particularly frequent in gastrinomas; agranular or poorly granular cells, either by "active" or "Stem cell" type, were present in nearly all tumours, particularly in diarrheogenic tumours, gastrinomas and malignant insulinomas. A cytological classification of pancreatic endocrine tumours is proposed.

MeSH Terms
Adenoma, Islet Cell/pathology Animals Cats Cell Differentiation Dogs Gastrins Glucagon Guinea Pigs Humans Insulin Islets of Langerhans/ultrastructure Microscopy, Electron Pancreatic Neoplasms/classification,pathology Serotonin Somatostatin Swine
Chemicals
Gastrins Insulin Serotonin Somatostatin Glucagon
Authors & Affiliations
6 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Capella C
Solcia E
Frigerio B
Buffa R
Usellini L
Fontana P
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62 references, click to expand
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Article Info
Journal
Virchows Archiv. A, Pathological anatomy and histology
Abbr.
Virchows Arch A Pathol Anat Histol
ISSN
0340-1227
DOI
10.1007/BF00432532
Published
1977-04-29
Pages
327-52
Language
English
Region
Germany
NLM ID
7505137
Subset
IM
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1007/BF00432532
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