Comparison of quantitative variables between patients with relatively normal and gastritis-altered mucosae.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To develop a statistical (regression) analysis of quantitative patterns of human epithelial nuclear and cellular profiles from chronic atrophic and hypertrophic gastritis, excluding Menetrier's gastropathy. STUDY DESIGN: The study group consisted of 30 patients with chronic gastritis with or without intestinal metaplasia, including gastric dysplasia. The control group consisted of 25 patients with relatively normal mucosae. Both groups were compared with respect to changes in quantitative morphometric variables as well as nuclear DNA quantities. RESULTS: Specific interdependences between minor (BN) and major (LN) nuclear axis length and cellular caliper diameters (Bc) and (Lc) were stipulated; thus, the corresponding area features were determined by regression equations. The value of the L2 norm as differences between corresponding linear functions involved in the regression equations were also examined. Higher nuclear DNA content values were obtained from patients with chronic gastritis. CONCLUSION: Chronic gastritis appears to be an intermediate and crucial moment in the process of gastric mucosal malignant progression. The pentaploid (5C) region was found to be an intermediate and critical feature of chronic gastritis since values in the ploidy range higher than pentaploid have been found to potentially indicate a malignancy.