Enlarged but nondysplastic crypts are frequently observed at the margins of colon tumors, forming what has been called a transitional epithelium. It is now thought that this is a reactive state and not a preneoplastic condition as previously suggested. We have used the mouse familial adenomatous polyposis model, Apc(Min), to study these abnormal adenoma- associated crypts. We report that these non-dysplastic crypts are enormous (as much as 10 times normal length) and branch more frequently than normal crypts. They express wild-type Apc protein and display the wild-type Apc allele. We conclude that the colossal crypts at adenoma margins have normal Apc gene function, consistent with the suggestion that their phenotype is a reactive state. The cause remains an open question, but the dramatic epithelial response hints at the presence of potent epithelial trophic factors in the vicinity of colon tumors.
CITATION STYLE
Bjerknes, M., & Cheng, H. (1999). Colossal crypts bordering colon adenomas in Apc(Min) mice express full- length Apc. American Journal of Pathology, 154(6), 1831–1834. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0002-9440(10)65439-9
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