Summary We analysed ploidy and S-phase fraction (SPF) from 78 paraffin-embedded primary prostatic carcinomas by DNA flow cytometry. DNA aneuploidy and above median (4.2%) SPF were both associated with high tumour grade, large size of prostate and presence of distant metastases. Both aneuploidy and high SPF (>4.2%) indicated short 10-year progression-free (P = 0.01 for ploidy and P = 0.0002 for SPF), overall (P = 0.004 and P <0.0001) as well as prostate cancer survival (P = 0.002 and P <0.0001). Ten-year overall survival rate was 45% in cases with SPF below 4.2% and 0% in those with higher values, whereas the corresponding prostate cancer-specific survival rates were 80% and 11%, respectively. None of the seven tumours with SPF above 12% showed an objective response to endocrine therapy, whereas 26/49 (52%) of those with lower SPF values responded (P = 0.01). DNA ploidy, tumour grade, T-stage or M-stage did not significantly correlate with endocrine responsiveness. SPF was also the best predictor of progression free survival in patients treated hormonally. In conclusion, dletection of high SPF in prostate cancer may indicate lack of hormonal responsiveness and poor prognosis.

Lysinuric protein intolerance (LPI) is an autosomal recessive disease characterized by defective transport of cationic amino acids. Patients have an increased incidence of fractures and their skeletal radiographs show osteoporosis. The aim of the study was to characterize the osteopenia in LPI. Twenty-nine Finnish LPI patients (age range 3.7-44.4 years) were screened for parameters of bone metabolism. Morphometric analysis of bone was carried out in specimens of 9 patients. Collagen synthesis was studied with cultured skin fibroblasts (4 patients) and collagen fibril sizes (3 patients) were measured using electron microscopy. Most histological bone specimens (8/9) showed osteoporosis. Osteomalacia was excluded. Routine clinical laboratory tests were unrevealing. The concentrations of free hydroxyproline and type III procollagen N-propeptide in serum and the urinary excretion of hydroxyproline were increased in almost all patients during their growth and in about half of adult patients. Collagen synthesis in LPI fibroblast cultures was significantly decreased compared with that in age-matched controls at 5 (p < 0.01), 14 (p < 0.01) and still at 30 years (p < 0.01), whereas no difference was observed at the age of 44 years (p = N.S.). Osteoporosis in LPI might reflect defective matrix protein synthesis caused by protein deprivation and deficiency of cationic amino acids. Increased collagen turnover can also contribute to the osteoporosis.

We present a case of 53-year-old man with an extremely rare malignant neoplasm, minor salivary gland epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma of the hard palate. The lesion was detected incidentally by a dentist, and the patient was successfully treated with surgical excision and postoperative irradiation. The patient has remained asymptomatic and free of disease for 4 years after diagnosis.Minor salivary gland epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma is an extremely rare and potentially aggressive tumor. The favorable outcome in the present case encourages the use of combined surgical excision and postoperative irradiation with curative intent.

We calculated morphometrically the amount of antral gastrin-producing (G) cells and body parietal and chief cells in gastric biopsy specimens from 30 undialysed patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) and from sex- and age-matched controls. The CRF patients had raised fasting serum gastrin levels, whereas these were normal in the controls (mean, 290 +/- 283 (+/- SD) ng/l (n = 27) versus 33 +/- 36 (n = 30)). Serum gastrin values of the patients and controls correlated positively with G-cell density (r = 0.501, n = 36, p = 0.002), as did the maximal acid output of the CRF patients with parietal cell density (r = 0.617, n = 14, p = 0.019). In CRF patients the densities of G, parietal, and chief cells were higher than those in the controls (G cells, 351 +/- 151 (+/- SD) cells/mm2, n = 21 versus 211 +/- 90, n = 16, p = 0.002; parietal cells, 299 +/- 94, n = 15 versus 224 +/- 72, n = 14, p = 0.025; chief cells, 886 +/- 346, n = 15 versus 743 +/- 182, n = 14, p = 0.181). The results agree with previous findings indicating that hyposecretion of gastric acid in CRF does not derive from decreased capacity for acid secretion but rather from the inhibition of acid output. Increased parietal cell density in CRF patients gives cause to suspect that the maximum acid output might even in raised, possibly depending on the permanent hypergastrinaemic state with its trophic influence on the gastric body mucosa.

Pasternack, A. Reduced thickness of gastric mucosa and retarded progression of chronic gastritis in patients with renal failure. APMIS 96:Conflicting results are reported in the literature on the structure and function of gastric mucosa in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF). In the present endoscopic study of 68 CRF patients on conservative treatment (regular dialyses or transplantations had not yet been undertaken), we sought to clarify whether CRF leads to hypertrophic or hypotrophic phenomena in gastric mucosa, as interpreted by the presence and grade of gastritis and by the thickness of the gastric mucosa. We found that the mean progression of gastritis in both antrum and body was significantly slower than expected in CFR patients, and that the thickness of both antral and body mucosa was significantly lower in CFR patients than in non-CRF controls. Furthermore, although the thickness of the oxyntic body mucosa in CRF showed a positive correlation to serum gastrin (SeGa) levels and even though 12 of the patients showed high SeGa levels corresponding to those seen in the Zollinger-Ellison synbdrome (300-1 500 ng/l), the thickness of the oxyntic body rnucosa in CRF patients did not exceed that seen in control subjects with normal SeGa. We conclude that CRF exerts inhibitory effects on the gastric mucosa resulting in retardation in the progression of chronic gastritis and hypotrophy of the gastric mucous membrane.

Thirty patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) and 30 age‐ and sex‐matched controls were assessed for gastrointestinal diseases by gastroscopy, serum gastrin determination, and routine clinical and laboratory evaluation. Biopsy specimens from their gastric oxyntic mucosa were immunohistochemically stained with monoclonal antibodies against serotonin (5‐hydroxytryptamine) and chromogranin A, the latter staining all gastric endocrine cells, the former disclosing serotonin‐containing enterochromaffin (EC) cells only. The average EC cell density (cells/mm2) in the CRF patients was significantly lower than in the controls: 2.6 vs 12.9 (p=0.0005). The EC cell counts also correlated negatively with serum gastrin values (p=0.0031). The densities of the chromogranin‐positive cells did not differ between CRF patients (74 cells/mm2) and controls (76 cells/mm2) (p=0.7559). We conclude that, in addition to the previously known findings of hypoacidity, persistent hypergastrinaemia, and G and parietal cell hyperplasia, CRF also reduces the number of oxyntic EC cells. The negative correlation between EC cell density and serum gastrin levels reflects the complex interplay between different endocrinological activities in the gastrointestinal tract.

The interrelations among fasting serum gastrin, serum creatinine, gastric acid secretion variables, and G-cell densities were analyzed in 47 patients with chronic renal failure (CRF). The patients also underwent gastroscopy and radiologic upper gastrointestinal barium examination. It is suggested that the hypergastrinemia seen in CRF is related to several factors: gastric acidity, grade of renal failure, G-cell density, and basal gastrin secretion rate. With regard to serum gastrin two different populations can be found, the cutting-off point being 300 ng/l. Although the group with high gastrin levels included significantly more patients with gastric body atrophy than the other group (4 of 11 versus of 1 of 36), most of them had no atrophy, which indicates that (an)other mechanism(s) is responsible for the hypergastrinemia. In the relation between serum gastrin and gastric acidity also, two differently behaving subgroups emerged. In the first, strong acidity change corresponded to minor gastrin change, whereas in the other, minor acidity change corresponded to marked gastrin change. The correlation coefficients between gastrin and acidity were high within both subgroups. During regular dialysis patients preserve the characteristics delineated from non-dialyzed values. Patients with signs of duodenal ulcer disease had high maximal acid output and low serum gastrin. Otherwise no associations were found between GI findings and the variables studied.

Abstract. A 65‐year‐old woman presenting with back pain, difficulties in walking and watery diarrhea. A right adrenal tumor and high excretion of catecholamines were found. Laboratory examinations showed raised levels of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, pancreatic polypeptide, gastrin and calcitonin. Histology showed a combined pheochromocytoma—ganglioneuroma. The neoplastic cell population was immunohistochemically shown to contain tyrosine hydroxylase, neuropeptide Y, met‐enkephalin, substance P, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, calcitonin and calcitonin gene‐related peptide. Postoperatively, the patient recovered fully and the hormone levels returned to normal.