Cytokeratin immunoreactivity patterns in short-segment Barrett's esophagus in Japanese patients.
BACKGROUND
The origin of intestinal metaplasia at the esophagogastric junction has clinical importance. However, it can be difficult to differentiate between intestinal metaplasia of short-segment Barrett's esophagus and cardiac intestinal metaplasia due to Helicobacter pylori infection. Specific patterns of cytokeratin (CK)7 and CK20 have been detected in long-segment Barrett's esophagus. The aim of the present study was to assess the immunostaining patterns associated with short-segment Barrett's esophagus.


OBJECTIVE
Paraffin-embedded biopsy specimens were prepared from 128 patients with intestinal metaplasia of long-segment Barrett's esophagus (n = 3), short-segment Barrett's esophagus without H. pylori infection (n = 22), short-segment Barrett's esophagus with H. pylori infection (n = 22), and cardiac mucosa (n = 49) and gastric mucosa from antrum and fundus (n = 44) with H. pylori infection. Sections were prepared and immunostained for CK7 and CK20.


RESULTS
A Barrett's CK7/20 pattern was present in all three patients (100%) with long-segment Barrett's esophagus, 21 of 22 patients (95%) with short-segment Barrett's esophagus without H. pylori infection, and six of 22 patients (27%) with short-segment Barrett's esophagus with H. pylori infection (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Intestinal metaplasia of short-segment Barrett's esophagus in patients without H. pylori infection is thought to be similar to that seen in long-segment Barrett's esophagus.
Yagi
Kazuyoshi
K
Department of Internal Medicine, Niigata Prefectural Yoshida Hospital, Yoshida-machi, Nishikanbara-gun, Niigata 959-0242, Japan. yagikazu@pop12.odn.ne.jp
Nakamura
Atsuo
A
Sekine
Atsuo
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001471:Barrett Esophagus / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D001706:Biopsy; D018450:Disease Progression; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal; D004947:Esophagus / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D015994:Incidence; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D053554:Keratin-20; D053552:Keratin-7; D007633:Keratins / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D015415:Biomarkers; C507499:KRT20 protein, human; C507497:KRT7 protein, human; D053554:Keratin-20; D053552:Keratin-7; D007633:Keratins