[Chemical mapping of normal and tumorous gastric mucosa by analytical ion microscopy]

The analytical ion microscopy (AIM) makes possible quantitative mapping of chemical elements on tissue section this method was applied to the study of chlorine (Cl-) and sulfur (S-) distributions on chemically fixed stomach sections obtained by biopsy. The Cl- and S- images were correlated with the histological structure of the tissue obtained by the phosphorus distribution on the same field or by the photonic image of a serial section. In normal tissue, Cl- and S- were evidenced in cytoplasm with accumulation at the apical cell border while in gastric adenocarcinoma both elements were distributed without precise topography. The use of cryo-prepared specimens should offer the possibility to study the changes of chlorine and sulfur content in functional pathology of stomach.