The influence of the suppression of gastrooesophageal reflux on the gene expression pattern in Barrett's oesophagus.
About 10% of Barrett's patients develop an adenocarcinoma in the course of life. There is increasing evidence that persistent gastrooesophageal reflux is involved in carcinogenesis. We investigated whether the gene expression pattern of Barrett's epithelium cells changes upon suppression of gastrooesophageal reflux compared to unsuppressed reflux. Biopsies from various regions of Barrett's segments and, further, during and without proton pump inhibitor therapy were collected in 5 patients. The reflux profile was assessed by simultaneous 24-h oesophageal pH and bile reflux testing. m-RNA was extracted from the specimens, and integrity and absence of DNA proven by gel electrophoresis and ALU-PCR. Using the micro array technique 1,176 genes were analysed and assigned an expression level. The number of genes detected in each experiment varied from 86 to 136. There was a 91% concordance of the gene expression pattern in distal and proximal biopsies from an individual Barrett's segment. Concordance was much less (68%) between biopsies of the same patient taken during and without proton pump inhibitor therapy. The gene expression pattern in a Barrett's oesophagus varies dependent upon different reflux situations. Other factors like the location of biopsy are of minor importance. The micro array technique allows for selection of candidate genes important in carcinogenesis.
Menges
Markus
M
Gastroenterology Section, Department of Medicine II, University of the Saarland, Homburg, Germany.
Michaeli
Burkhard
B
Pueschel
Werner
W
Zeitz
Martin
M
Meese
Eckart
E
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001471:Barrett Esophagus / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics*; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis