glycogen and Intestinal-Neoplasms

Topics: Aged; Carcinoid Tumor; Carcinoma; Colonic Polyps; Colonoscopy; Diagnosis, Differential; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage; Gene Deletion; Genes, p16; Glycogen; Humans; Intestinal Neoplasms; Intestine, Small; Lung Neoplasms; Male; Mesothelioma; Mesothelioma, Malignant; Neoplasm Invasiveness; Peritoneal Neoplasms; Prognosis

Topics: alpha-Fetoproteins; Amines; Animals; Bombesin; Bronchi; Calcitonin; Calmodulin; Carcinoembryonic Antigen; Carcinoma in Situ; Carcinoma, Bronchogenic; Chorionic Gonadotropin; Cytoskeletal Proteins; Esophageal Neoplasms; Glycogen; Growth Hormone; Hormones; Humans; Intestinal Neoplasms; Lung Neoplasms; Parathyroid Hormone; Physalaemin; Placental Lactogen; Precancerous Conditions; Somatostatin; Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide

Cowden syndrome is characterized by diffuse hamartomas involving the whole digestive tract. The gastrointestinal expression of the disease is inconstant, but hamartomatous polyposes are frequent. In a multicenter study we studied the endoscopic appearance of Cowden syndrome--as defined by fulfillment of international consortium criteria--in 10 patients. In 6 of the 10 patients the connection with Cowden syndrome was made retrospectively on the basis of the gastrointestinal endoscopic findings. All patients had upper and lower gastrointestinal tract involvement. Mean follow-up duration was 9.5 years (range: 2-26 years). Mean age was 37 years (range: 18-56 years). Polyps of the upper gastrointestinal tract were hamartomas, ganglioneuromas, lipomas, and adenomas. Diffuse glycogenic acanthosis was reported in nine patients. Besides the classical hamartomatous polyposis, diffuse macroscopic esophageal acanthosis and microscopic ganglioneuromatosis are other key findings associated with a diagnosis of Cowden syndrome. Physicians should be aware of these characteristics in order to diagnose Cowden syndrome early.

Topics: Adenoma; Adolescent; Adult; Colonic Polyps; Colonoscopy; Endoscopy, Digestive System; Esophageal Diseases; Female; Ganglioneuroma; Glycogen; Hamartoma Syndrome, Multiple; Humans; Intestinal Neoplasms; Male; Middle Aged; Retrospective Studies; Stomach Neoplasms; Young Adult

Topics: Cell Division; Cell Line; Glycogen; Humans; Intestinal Neoplasms; Neoplasms

The relationship known to exist in vitro between glycogen accumulation and the growth of malignant human intestine epithelial cells was investigated in vivo. The glycogen concentration of 7 human intestine carcinoma cell lines (Caco-2, HT-29, HRT-18, HCT-8R, CO-115, SW-480, and HuTu 80) was measured during cell growth for the in vitro series and during the course of tumor growth for the in vivo series. The glycogen stores were compared for these cells in vitro and after their injection in noninbred Swiss athymic nude mice. The tumors and cultured cells were ranked identically on the basis of glycogen level (Caco-2 > HRT-18 > HT-29 > HCT-8R > CO-115 > SW-480 > HuTu 80). Values for the tumors ranged from 128.8 +/- 10.8 micrograms glycogen/mg protein for Caco-2 tumors down to 2.9 +/- 0.9 micrograms for HuTu 80 tumors; similar values were found for the exponentially growing corresponding cultured cells. The tumor glycogen concentration was independent of the host's nutritional state: Glycogen concentration differed from one type of tumor to another despite its constant level in the liver; fasting did not cause tumor glycogenolysis. By the two experimental approaches, results varied during the growth phases: Stationary phase glycogen concentration increased threefold to fourfold for all cultured cell lines; tumor glycogen concentration, by contrast, was stable throughout the growth period. An inverse relationship was nonetheless found between the rate of tumor growth and tumor glycogen concentration; the highest glycogen content was associated with the slowest growing tumors, and conversely. Apparently, elevated glycogen concentration is regularly associated with decreased cell division rates in vitro and in vivo.

Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Animals; Cell Line; Female; Glycogen; Humans; In Vitro Techniques; Intestinal Neoplasms; Male; Mice; Mice, Nude; Neoplasms, Experimental