title: The Genetics of Barrett's Esophagus: A Familial and Population-Based Perspective.
abstract: Barrett's esophagus (BE) is intestinal metaplasia of the lower esophagus and a precursor lesion for esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). Both are important health issues as they have rising incidences in the Western world. Improving the management of BE relies on understanding the underlying biology of this disease, but the exact biological mechanisms have been difficult to determine. BE is generally thought to be an acquired condition that develops secondarily to chronic gastroesophageal reflux. However, multiple reports of familial clustering of patients with BE and/or EAC suggest a possible inherited predisposition to BE may be driving this condition, at least in a subset of patients. Identifying the genetic variants that predispose to BE in these families would open up the possibility for blood-based screening tests that could inform decision-making in regard to surveillance strategies, particularly for relatives of patients with BE and/or EAC. Perhaps more importantly, understanding the genetic mechanisms that predispose to BE may provide valuable insights into the biology of this condition and potentially identify novel targets for therapeutic intervention. Here we review the current evidence for a genetic predisposition to BE and discuss the potential implications of these findings.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Surgery, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, A'Beckett Street, Locked bag 1, East Melbourne, VIC, 8006, Australia.|Department of Surgery (St. Vincent's Hospital), University of Melbourne, Fitzroy, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: To
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Research, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, A'Beckett Street, Locked bag 1, East Melbourne, VIC, 8006, Australia.|Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Nicholas J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Clemons
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Surgery, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, A'Beckett Street, Locked bag 1, East Melbourne, VIC, 8006, Australia.
authors.forename: Cuong P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Duong
authors.affiliation: Familial Cancer Centre, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, A'Beckett Street, Locked bag 1, East Melbourne, VIC, 8006, Australia.|Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Alison H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Trainer
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Surgery, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, A'Beckett Street, Locked bag 1, East Melbourne, VIC, 8006, Australia. wayne.phillips@petermac.org.|Division of Cancer Research, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, A'Beckett Street, Locked bag 1, East Melbourne, VIC, 8006, Australia. wayne.phillips@petermac.org.|Department of Surgery (St. Vincent's Hospital), University of Melbourne, Fitzroy, VIC, Australia. wayne.phillips@petermac.org.|Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia. wayne.phillips@petermac.org.
authors.forename: Wayne A
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-7961-638X
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Phillips
mesh_terms: D001471:Barrett Esophagus / Q000235:genetics*; D005190:Family; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: Barrett’s esophagus; Esophageal adenocarcinoma; Familial; Family history; GWAS