title: Is there a set of histologic changes that are invariably reflux associated?
abstract: Many histologic changes have been described in the esophageal squamous mucosa in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), including dilated intercellular spaces, balloon cells, intrapapillary vessel dilation, elongated papillae, basal cell hyperplasia, acanthosis, intraepithelial eosinophils, Langerhans cells, and p53 protein overexpression. To define a set of histologic changes that are invariably reflux associated, we examined the histologic changes in esophageal specimens from normal controls, patients with GERD, patients without GERD but with a suspicion of other pathology, and patients with esophageal carcinoma. We also examined biopsy specimens from sites with differing endoscopic features, including cloudy white and reddened mucosa. A definitive set of reflux-associated histologic changes could not be defined from the small number of biopsy specimens examined in the present study. Histologic changes indicative of GERD are likely to be found somewhere in the esophagus in all patients with GERD, but these changes are nonspecific. A set of histologic changes that are invariably reflux associated may exist, but these changes are nonspecific. To develop a set of characteristic reflux-associated features, endoscopists may perform targeted biopsies from several sites with various endoscopic features and at different stages of disease.
authors.affiliation: Human Tissue Research Group, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Sakae-cho 35-2, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 173-0015, Japan. takubo@tmig.or.jp
authors.forename: Kaiyo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takubo
authors.forename: Naoko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Honma
authors.forename: Gopi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Aryal
authors.forename: Motoji
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sawabe
authors.forename: Tomio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Arai
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Ken-ichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mafune
authors.forename: Katsuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Iwakiri
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001344:Autopsy; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D001706:Biopsy; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000473:pathology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology; D004108:Dilatation, Pathologic / Q000473:pathology; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal / Q000379:methods; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D004943:Esophagogastric Junction / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology; D004947:Esophagus / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000473:pathology; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers