Relationships Between Glial Enteric Cells, Beta-cell Signaling and Tumor Proliferative Activity in Patients with Colorectal Neoplasia

Abstract

The aim of our study was to evaluate the expression of glial enteric cells at different stages of differentiation of colorectal neoplasms and to correlate these changes with the tumor proliferation index and with the sympathetic influences evaluated by the expression of beta-2 adrenoreceptors. Given that nowadays colorectal neoplasm is a major public health problem and that the molecular mechanisms responsible for malignant transformation are not fully yet elucidated, more studies are needed in order to establish other intracellular signaling pathways in such a neoplasm. By this study we concluded that the proportional decrease in the density of glial enteric cells in colorectal cancer with the degree of tumor differentiation and also their inverse correlation with the tumor proliferation index and with the expression of the adrenergic beta-2 adrenoreceptors can be considered a negative prognostic factor in this type of cancer.