Gastric-type mucin and TFF-peptide expression in Barrett's oesophagus is disturbed during increased expression of MUC2.
OBJECTIVE
Barrett's oesophagus constitutes metaplastic epithelium, often diagnosed by mucin histochemistry. We determined the mucins and trefoil factor family (TFF)-peptides that were expressed in Barrett's oesophagus, in order to study changes in protein expression in early stages of Barrett's oesophagus development.


RESULTS
Biopsy specimens of 71 Barrett's oesophagus patients were collected, and sections were stained for secretory mucins by histochemistry. Immunohistochemistry was performed for secretory mucins (MUC2, MUC5AC, MUC5B, MUC6), TFFs (TFF1, TFF2, TFF3), and proliferation (Ki67). Protein expression in the tissue was measured semiquantitatively. MUC5AC and TFF1 showed high levels and strong colocalization in the surface epithelium, whereas MUC6, MUC5B and TFF3 were found in the deeper glandular structures. TFF2 was found in both surface and glandular epithelium. The co-ordinate expression patterns of these six markers were similar to gastric antrum epithelium. MUC2 expression was ubiquitously associated with goblet cells within intestinal metaplasia, occurring in 68% of patients, and was correlated with increasing proliferation in the epithelium.


CONCLUSIONS
Virtually all cells in Barrett's oesophagus epithelium displayed a secretory phenotype, demonstrating a co-ordinate gastric-type MUC and TFF expression. When MUC2 expression was more pronounced, the expression patterns of the other MUCs and the TFFs were increasingly disturbed. MUC2 expression may constitute a marker for early change in the phenotype of Barrett's oesophagus as a precancerous lesion.
Van De Bovenkamp
J H B
JH
Laboratory of Paediatrics and Sophia Children's Hospital, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Korteland-Van Male
A M
AM
Warson
C
C
Büller
H A
HA
Einerhand
A W C
AW
Ectors
N L E Y
NL
Dekker
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001471:Barrett Esophagus / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D005752:Gastric Mucins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055262:Mucin-2; D009077:Mucins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009124:Muscle Proteins; D009479:Neuropeptides; D010455:Peptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D000071164:Trefoil Factor-2; D000071165:Trefoil Factor-3
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D005752:Gastric Mucins; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; C524625:MUC2 protein, human; C524628:Muc2 protein, rat; D055262:Mucin-2; D009077:Mucins; D009124:Muscle Proteins; D009479:Neuropeptides; D010455:Peptides; C000604007:TFF2 protein, human; C099037:TFF3 protein, rat; C000604008:Tff2 protein, rat; D000071164:Trefoil Factor-2; D000071165:Trefoil Factor-3