RESUMEN
Objective To investigate the alteration of serotonin-producing gastric enterochromaffin (EC)cell in patients with functional dyspepsia(FD).Methods Fifteen healthy volunteers and 33 patients with FD were enrolled.Proximal gastric mucosal EC cells were countered after immunohisto- chemistry staining.The ultrastructure of EC cell was observed by electromicroscope.Results The EC cells in proximal gastric mucosa in patients with FD were significant higher than that in controls(12.5?2.1 vs 8.3?1.4,t=2.353,P＜0.05),and the staining intensity of EC cell in patients with FD was also stronger than that in controls(3.72?0.42 vs 2.61?0.57,t=2.078,P＜0.05).The more sever the gastric mucosal inflammation was,the more number of EC cells and the stronger staining intensity were.Under the electromicroscopy,more Golgi apparatus,mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum were found in EC cells.Special secreting particles were also found in cytoplasm.Conclusions EC cells may be involved in the pathogenesis of FD.The number of EC cell is related with the severity of gastric mucosal inflammation.