title: Blood group-related antigen expression in normal and metaplastic human upper gastrointestinal mucosa.
abstract: Lewis antigen expression in upper gastrointestinal epithelium was studied using four monoclonal antibodies to determine the relationship between aberrant differentiation and antigen expression. Specific patterns of type 1 and type 2 Lewis blood group antigen expression were found in the surface and glands of the esophagus, gastric fundus, and duodenum. In biopsy specimens of Barrett's esophagus, gastric fundic-type columnar metaplasia expressed Lewis antigens indistinguishable from those in the normal stomach. In Barrett's junctional and specialized columnar metaplasia, Lewis a antigen was aberrantly expressed on the surface in secretors and in the glands independent of secretor state. Lewis x reactivity was markedly diminished in the glands of Barrett's junctional and specialized columnar epithelium irrespective of secretor state. There was no significant aberrancy observed in the expression of Lewis b and y antigens. The observed aberrant expression of Lewis antigens may be caused by an altered differentiation program in Barrett's metaplastic epithelium and may define a role for these glycoconjugates in the process of metaplasia and carcinogenesis in Barrett's epithelium.
authors.affiliation: Section of Gastroenterology, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Martinez, California.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Davidson
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Triadafilopoulos
mesh_terms: D001471:Barrett Esophagus / Q000276:immunology*; D001706:Biopsy; D004947:Esophagus / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D007519:Isoantigens / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007983:Lewis Blood Group Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D008679:Metaplasia / Q000276:immunology; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007519:Isoantigens; D007983:Lewis Blood Group Antigens