Expression Of Estrogen Receptor Beta (Er-B) Isoforms In Barrett Metaplasia, Dysplasia, And Esophageal Adenocarcinoma

Background: In 1997, we described muhilayered epithelium (MLE), a hybrid epithelium with morphologic and cytokeratin features of squamous and columnar epithelium (Gastroenterology 1997;112:760-65), that is significantly associated with Barrett's epithelium (p<0.001)/AmJGastmentem12001;96:3268-73).MLE may be a transitional step between squamons and Barrett's epithelinm.Aims: 1) To determine if MLE is seen in patients with Barrett's with neoplasia (dysplasia or adenocarcinoma) and 2) To study" the relationship of MLE to gender and length of Barrett's epithelium in patients with and without rmoplasia.Methods: 153 patiems comprised 3 groups: 67 controls with no history or histological evidence of Barrett's epithelium, 57 Barrett's patients without neoplasia, and 29 Barrett's patients with neoplasm.Endoscopic squamocolumnar junctional biopsies were evaluated histologically tor Barrett's epithehum, MLE, neoplasia with grade where appropriate, and inflam~tion.Age, gender and length of Barrett's were recorded.Results: MLE was found in 30% 117/57) of Barrett's patients without neoplasia, 14% 14/29) of Barrett's patients with neoplasm, and 6% (4/67) of controls.MLE was nnt significantly associated with Barrett's patients with neoplasm MLE was found in 36% of women and in 24% of men with Barrett's without neoplasia (p<0.05).No women in the neoplasia group (0/5) had MLE.These results were compared to the Barrett's without neoplasia group where 10 of 17 (59%) of the MLE patients were women (p<0.001).Significantly shorter lengths of Barrett's were seen in patients without neoplasm than with neoplasia for both men (p<0.01) and women (p<0.05).Men with neoplasia and MLE had significantly shorter lengths of Barrett's than those without MLE (p