Summary
The non-tumoral endocrine pancreas from a patient with elevated plasma levels of glucagon due to a malignant glucagonoma was studied immunocytochemically, ultrastructurally and morphometrically. Compared with normal pancreatic islets from control subjects, those of the pancreas from the patient with a glucagonoma showed an almost complete disappearance of A cells, a decrease in immunoreactive insulin in B cells associated with cytological features indicating enhanced synthesis and secretion of this hormone, and an increase in immunoreactive somatostatin and pancreatic polypeptide (PP) accompanied by unusually high numbers of D and PP cells. In addition, numerous B cells were found outside the islets, either forming microislets or scattered in the exocrine tissue (nesidioblastosis). The possible mechanisms involved in determining the changes in the secretory activity of B cells and the alterations in the cell composition of the islets are discussed.
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Bani, D., Biliotti, G. & Sacchi, T.B. Morphological changes in the human endocrine pancreas induced by chronic excess of endogenous glucagon. Virchows Archiv B Cell Pathol 60, 199–206 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02899547
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02899547