1Assistant Professor 2Professor & Head 3Associate Professor 4Professor & Dean (Medical) 5,6Professor, Department of Pathology, SRM Medical College Hospital & Research Centre, SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST), Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu 603203, India.
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Introduction:Mast cells in the tumour microenvironment have both pro-tumorigenic and anti-tumorigenic roles and play a major role in determining the progression of the tumour including metastatic potential. The present analysis was undertaken to assess their role in the metastatic potential to regional lymph nodes in gastric carcinoma. Methods:Tissue from fifty three cases of gastricgastric carcinoma including fourteen endoscopic biopsies and fourteen gastrectomy specimens were analyzed and routine histological findings were recorded. Mast cells were clearly demonstrated in tissue using Toluidine Blue stain at pH 2.3. Mast cells were counted using an eyepiece grid and expressed as no. of cells/per sq. mm, i.e., mast cell density (MCD). The distribution of mast cells within all the sampled lymph nodes (with and without metastasis) was recorded. Results:Mast cell density was not statistically significantly different in regional lymph nodes without microscopic metastatic deposits (n= 71; Mean±SD: 1.5±0.67) compared to lymph nodes showing metastatic deposits (n=74; Mean MCD±SD: 1.2±0.42). Conclusions:Our results indicate that the role of mast cells in gastric carcinoma especially metastatic potential to regional lymph nodes is equivocal, in sharp contrast to our previous study in breast carcinoma which indicated a protective role. This could also be explained by the participation of mast cells in the benign inflammatory stages even before the onset of gastric carcinoma, a phenomenon that is not seen in breast carcinoma
Corresponding Author : Shivashekar Ganapathy, Professor & Head, Department of Pathology, SRM Medical College Hospital & Research Centre, Kattankulathur, SRMIST, Potheri, Tamil Nadu 603203, India