[Morphogenesis of gastric mucosal atrophy as a basis of a phenotype of chronic gastritis].

Atrophic antral gastritis was found to show an absolute decrease in gland volume with higher expression of the gastric transcription factor Shh, i.e. absolute atrophy and that concurrent with the replacement of the specialized gastric epithelium by the intestinal MUC2-producing one, i.e. metaplastic atrophy. In atrophic multifocal gastritis along absolute and metaplastic atrophy, there are foci of the proliferative metaplastic epithelium, i.e. hyperproliferative metaplastic atrophy that is prevalent in atrophic pangastritis. The molecular characteristics of hyperproliferative metaplastic atrophy are varying: in some foci of metaplasia, the high proliferative activity of the epithelium is concomitant with the hyperexpression of P53, a marker of DNA damage, the lower expression of the intestinal transcription factor CDX-2, and the low level of Cpp32, an indicator of apoptosis. Whether such structures can be identified at the launching pad for tumor growth in atrophic pangastritis is discussed.