Correlation between antroduodenal enterochromaffin cells, plasma serotonin [5-HT] and histopathological findings in patients with hepatosplenic bilharziasis and upper gastrointestinal bleeding

ABSTRACT

A correlative clinical, endoscopic, histopathological, histochemical and plasma 5-HT level study was done in 25 patients with hepatosplenic billharziasis recovered from upper gastrointestinal bleeding and 10 controls.Significant hyperplasia and hyperactivity of enterochromaffin [EC] cells in the gastroduodenal mucosa was found in all patients associated with significant increase in plasma serotonin [5-HT] level.This detected hyperserotoninaemia can be attributed not only to the defective hepatic degradation but also to over production by hyperplastic and hyperactive EC-cells. Increased plasma 5-HT level may have a double share in the causation of upper gastrointestinal bleeding by elevation of the portal blood pressure and the induction or gastroduodenal erosions found in patients with hepatosplenic bilharziasis