Ultrastructure of colonic endocrine cells in ulcerative colitis

Endoscopic specimens of colonic mucosa from 40 ulcerative colitis patients were investigated. Specimens were taken from both sexes patients, aged 16-74 (means = 41 years). An average number of 5 biopsies was examined in each patient taken 10, 20, 40, 50 and 80 cm from rectum. Material was divided into 3 groups: 1. histologically confirmed ulcerative colitis (CU), 2. clinical diagnosis of CU in remission-histologically non specific inflammation, 3. functional disorders of the large bowel-histologically normal colonic mucosa. The latter was a control group. Biopsies were fixed in glutaraldehyde, postfixed in osmium tetroxide. Ultrastructural examination was performed on Epon sections in Tesla BS-500 electron microscope operating at 60 kV. A Lausanne classification of endocrine cells was used in the study. The most common were EC cells, followed by PP, D1 and L respectively. In the first group of patients damaged endocrine cells were more commonly observed. These destructive changes were: vacuolisation of cytoplasm, degranulation and discharge of endocrine granules into intercellular space and degradation of the entire cells.