Intestinal metaplasia of the stomach and esophagus: an immunohistochemical study of 60 cases including comparison with normal and inflamed intestinal mucosa.

Recently, a new classification of intestinal metaplasia (IM) using immunohistochemical mucin markers was proposed. Two following types of IM were defined: (1) a mixed gastric and intestinal type also called incomplete IM; (2) a purely intestinal type, also called complete IM. We present a series of 30 cases of gastric IM and 30 cases of IM of the esophagus, using this new classification. In all gastric cases, IM developed in the mucus-neck region in the form of incomplete IM. Toward the mucosa surface, it matured gradually into complete IM. This maturation showed a gradual reduction of both foveolar mucin MUC5AC and pyloric gland mucin MUC6. In two of 30 cases, IM was of the incomplete hyperproliferative type. In one case, focal high-grade adenomatous dysplasia was found in the incomplete IM. In the esophageal cases, IM was found in inflamed cardiac-type mucosa, and it was usually of the incomplete type, with almost diffuse positivity for MUC5AC and with rare positivity of MUC6. The goblet cells and some cylindrical cells expressed intestinal mucin MUC2. The proliferation was higher than in the complete IM, and in one case, focal low grade adenomatous dysplasia was found. In addition, we examined the expression of mucins in normal and inflamed intestinal mucosa. These cases included 50 duodenal biopsies, 50 biopsies from the ileum, and 50 biopsies from the colon. The inflamed cases included celiac disease, Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis. Some goblet cells of the normal intestinal mucosa expressed both MUC2 and MUC5AC. More numerous MUC5AC+ goblet cells were found in the inflamed intestinal mucosa. In the duodenal and small intestinal mucosa, even the MUC6 positivity of a few goblet or cylindrical cells was found. In sum, our results indicate that incomplete IM is an initial step of the metaplastic process. It can mature into complete IM, or alternatively, it can develop dysplasia or adenocarcinoma. In addition, we found that gastric-type mucins are also present in normal or inflamed intestinal mucosa, and that the expression of these mucins is even enhanced in some inflammatory conditions. The expression of MUC5AC in complete IM and in normal or inflamed mucosa suggests that MUC5AC cannot be regarded as a marker of immaturity. In Barrett esophagus, our results were similar to those of previous studies, except for CDX2 of which reactivity was seen also in incomplete type of IM.