title: Gastric proteases in Barrett's esophagus.
abstract: Precursors of the gastric proteases pepsinogen A (pepsinogen I) and pepsinogen C (pepsinogen II) and slow-moving protease were demonstrated in biopsy specimens from Barrett's epithelium in 21 of 22 patients with Barrett's esophagus; in 14 of them, in variable combinations at different sites. In 13 of 19 patients (68.4%) with detectable pepsinogen A, different isozymogen patterns were found between the Barrett's epithelium and the gastric corpus mucosa. Discrepancies consisted mainly of a stronger pepsinogen 5 band in the Barrett's epithelium, with a higher incidence in biopsy specimens with features of dysplasia than with no or indefinite dysplasia; the difference was, however, not statistically significant. Zymograms of 69 biopsy specimens from Barrett's epithelium were correlated with the histologic type: pepsinogen A and C were most frequently found in the fundic type, least often in the specialized intestinal type. In control gastric corpus biopsy specimens, pepsinogen A and C as well as slow-moving protease were always detectable. The observed variability of gastric protease patterns, in particular of pepsinogen A isozymograms, may be due to differences in expression within the pepsinogen A cluster, suggesting a deregulation of gene expression or partial deletion of the pepsinogen A gene cluster.
authors.forename: B D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Westerveld
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pals
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bosma
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Defize
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Pronk
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Frants
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Eriksson
authors.forename: S G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Meuwissen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001471:Barrett Esophagus / Q000201:enzymology*; D002872:Chromosome Deletion; D004792:Enzyme Precursors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004848:Epithelium / Q000201:enzymology; D004935:Esophageal Diseases / Q000201:enzymology*; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000201:enzymology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013270:Stomach / Q000201:enzymology*
chemical_list: D004792:Enzyme Precursors; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases