Abstract
Background: Glands with glassy cells (GGCs) were recently found in 1.8% of patients showing Barrett's mucosa in esophageal biopsies. Similar GGCs were more recently detected in a baboon having glandulo-metaplastic esophageal mucosa (GMEM). The aim was to assess the frequency of baboons with GMEM having GGCs. Materials and Methods: GGCs were sought in 68 consecutive baboons having GMEM. Sections were stained with H&E, and with alcian blue (pH 2.5) to detect sialomucins in goblet cells (a marker of Barrett's mucosa in GMEM). Results: Two out of the 68 baboons with Barrett's mucosa (2.9%) showed GGCs. Conclusion: In similarity to humans, the Barrett's mucosa in baboons may show GGCs. Although the significance of GGCs in baboons (and in humans) remains poorly understood, their presence might not be a fortuitous event but may be linked to the molecular events leading to the development of intestinal metaplasia in Barrett's mucosa, a known pre-neoplastic mucosal change in the distal esophagus in humans.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 925-927 |
| Number of pages | 3 |
| Journal | In Vivo |
| Volume | 23 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| State | Published - Nov 2009 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Disease
- Intestinal metaplasia
- Nonhuman primate
- Pathology
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all)
- Pharmacology