Distribution of ganglion cells in rectal mucosal and submucosal fragments for the diagnosis of hirschsprung disease

• Grant number: 19/10339-1
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: November 01, 2019
• End date: October 31, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Surgery
• Principal Investigator: Uenis Tannuri
• Grantee: Uenis Tannuri
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina (FM). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Ana Cristina Aoun Tannuri ; Josiane de Oliveira Gonçalves ; Maria Mercês Santos ; Rafael Rodrigues Torres ; Suellen Serafini

Abstract

Hirschsprung's disease (HD) is characterized by the absence of ganglion cells in the enteric plexus, which results in intestinal dismobility in children. The fragment analysis obtained by rectal biopsy confirms the diagnosis. Histopathological methods such as acetylcholinesterase activity (ACHE) and calretinin activity (CALRET) have good accuracy and can be performed in fragments containing only mucosa and submucosa, allowing for a less invasive biopsy. In a recent study, we demonstrated that it is also possible to perform the examination in smaller fragments using HE, a simpler staining technique than the specific methods of ACHE and CALRET. In this study, 60 slices of each biopsy fragment were obtained; in 54% of the unaffected patients, ganglion cells were in the deepest slices (50-60). This finding motivated us to study the distribution of these cells in the rectal submucosa, to facilitate the process of analysis of the slides. Objectives: 1) To study the distribution of ganglion cells in the rectal submucosal plexus; 2) To create a method to facilitate the diagnosis and apply it to biopsy fragments of patients with suspected HD. Methods: Analyze the distribution of ganglion cells in 60 fragments of rectal submucosa obtained from cadavers referred to our service morgue (SVOC). Subsequently, the new diagnostic technique will be applied in 80 cases of suspected HD. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

SUELLEN SERAFINI; MARIA MERCÊS SANTOS; ANA CRISTINA AOUN TANNURI; CELSO DI LORETO; JOSIANE DE OLIVEIRA GONÇALVES; UENIS TANNURI. A new systematization of histological analysis for the diagnosis of Hirschsprung’s disease. Clinics, v. 78, 2023-06-05. (19/10339-1)

SERAFINI, SUELLEN; SANTOS, MARIA MERCES; AOUN TANNURI, ANA CRISTINA; DI LORETO, CELSO; GONCALVES, JOSIANE DE OLIVEIRA; TANNURI, UENIS. A new systematization of histological analysis for the diagnosis of Hirschsprung's disease. Clinics, v. 78, p. 6-pg., 2023-04-18. (19/10339-1)