Identification of the putative intestinal stem cell marker DCAMKL-1 in Barrett’s esophagus and esophageal adenocarcinoma

摘要: BackgroundIn Barrett’s esophagus (BE), the normal esophageal squamous epithelium is replaced by specialized metaplastic columnar epithelium. BE is a premalignant lesion which can progress to esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). Currently there are no early molecular indicators that would predict progression from BE to EAC. As the only permanent residents of the epithelium, stem cells have been implicated in this metaplastic progression.AimTo determine the expression of DCAMKL-1 and other putative gastrointestinal stem cell markers in normal esophageal mucosa (NEM), BE and EAC.MethodsHuman NEM, BE, EAC and multi-tissue microarrays were analyzed for DCAMKL-1 and immunohistochemically scored based on staining intensity and tissue involvement, with epithelia and stroma scored separately. Total RNA isolated from BE and paired NEM was subjected to real-time RT-PCR analysis for …