Quantity and functional alterations of lower esophageal mucosal mast cells in elderly patients with reflux esophagitis / 中华老年医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the alteration of mast cell(MC)in elderly patients with reflux esophagitis(RE). Methods Twenty eight elderly and 15 non-elderly patients with RE were recruited.Lower esophageal mucosal mast cells and the percentage of degranulated mast cells were countered after immunohistochemieal staining.The ultrastrueture of mast cells was observed by eleetromieroscope. Results The number of mast cells in lower esophageal mucosa in elderly patients with RE was significantly more than that in non-elderly patients with RE(10.24±2.56 VS.5.07±0.18,P＜0.01),and the percentage of degranulated mast cells in lower esophageal mucosa was also significantly higher in elderly patients with RE than in non-elderly patients with RE[(24.7±4.6)%vs.(13.5±5.5)%,P＜0.01].The more severe the esophageal mucosallesions,the more the numberof mast cells. Under the electromicroscopy, more Golgi apparatus, mitochondria and endoplasm-reticulum were found in mast cells.Special secreting particles were also found in cytoplasm,more vacuole were left behind after mast cells degranulation in elderly patients with RE.Conclusions Increased numbers of mast cells and mast cell activation may be involved in the pathogenesis of elderly RE.