IMMUNOELECTROPHORESIS AND ELECTROPHORESIS OF MUCOSUBSTANCE OF MUCUS SECRETED FROM THE GASTRIC MUCOSA WITH INTESTINAL METAPLASIA. II. GASTRIC MUCOUS BARRIER

Abstract

Immunoelectrophoresis and electrophoresis of mucosubstance were performed on gastric mucus obtained through an endoscope by preventing mixing of saliva and duodenal juice. Indigocarinine and methylene blue were thereafter sprayed via the endoscope to conduct dye endoscopy. After electrophoreisis of mucosubstance the sample was stained with Toluidine blue (pH 2.5 ), Alcian blue (pH 2.5) and standard PAS . Hyaluronic acid (HA), Chondroitin sulfate (Chs-A) and Heparin (Hep) were simultaneously submitted to electrophoresis as the reference standards. An appearence of immunoglobulin was pH-dependent, becoming higher as pH rises. SC (Secretory Component), however, was specifically elevated in intestinal metaplasia and carcinoma. Thus SC appears to be released from the mucosa with organic abnormalities into the mucus. Electrophoresis of mucosubstance revealed a neutral mucosubstance with positive PAS reaction in all patients. Six other fractions were distinguished from near the starting point to Hep (S₁-S₆). S₆ comigrated with Hep, S₅ with Chs-A and S₄ with HA . S₁ and S₂ were shown to be released due to hemorrhage according to experimental and statistical analysis. S3-S6 fractions were frequently associated with intestinal metaplasia. S₆ was commonly associated with acute erosion . Endoscopy revealed methylene blue metachromasia. As to the characteristics of diseases, findings on immunoelectrophoresis and electrophoresis of mucosubstance were parallel in intestinal metaplasia, but no such parallelism was found in carcinoma . An appearence rate of mucopolysaccharide was occasionally low in the presence of SC. In one patient with carcinoma, no mucopolysacchride appeared, and double precipitation lines were seen on Ig-A and S-IgA . Endoscopy revealed metachromasia within the lesion. Follow-up observation in intestinal metaplasia revealed absence of SC in simple intestinal metaplasia. SC appeared only in conditions associated with inflammation, erosion and ulcer.