A Case of Esophageal Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma -With Special Reference to Cell Proliferation and Apoptosis-

Naohiko Koide, Yoshinori Nimura, Shoichiro Koike, Wataru Adachi, Futoshi Iida

Department of Surgery, Shinshu University School of Medicine

We report a case of esophageal adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC). Histochemical examinations were carried out in order to clarify apoptosis and cell proliferation of adenoid cystic carcinoma. A 68-year-old wouman had an protruding esophageal tumor with irregularly shaped ulceration. The biopsy specimen showed SCC. She underwent subtotal esophagectomy. Histopathological examination showed ACC with SCC. This specimen was subjected to further histochemical examinations: PCNA immunostaining, TUNEL and bcl-2 protein immunostaining. The PCNA-labeling index and TUNEL-positive rate were 43.6% and 0.58%, respectively, in ACC tissue. These results indicated that this unique tumor exhibited high proliferative activity and weak apoptosis. In normal esophageal tissue, the basal cells and ductal and acinar cells of esophagel gland showed a positive reaction for bcl-2 protein. It was considered that the tumor originated from the basal cells of esophagus based on the strong expression of bcl-2 protein and histopathologically complication of SCC tissue.

Key words
adenoid cystic carcinoma of esophagus, apoptosis, bcl-2 protein

Reprint requests
Naohiko Koide Department of Surgery, Shinshu University School of Medicine
Asahi, Matsumot, 390 JAPAN

Accepted
October 11, 1995

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