Department of Life Sciences, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan.
J Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2013 Jul;19(3):324-31. doi: 10.5056/jnm.2013.19.3.324. Epub 2013 Jul 8.
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Detailed characterization of the ultrastructural morphology of intercellular space in gastroesophageal reflux disease has not been fully studied. We aimed to investigate whether subtle alteration in intercellular space structure and tight junction proteins might differ among patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease.
Esophageal biopsies at 5 cm above the gastroesophageal junction were obtained from 6 asymptomatic controls, 10 patients with reflux symptoms but without erosions, and 18 patients with erosions. The biopsies were morphologically evaluated by transmission electron microscopy, and by using immunohistochemistry for tight junction proteins (claudin-1 and claudin-2 proteins).
The expressions of tight junction proteins did not differ between asymptomatic controls and gastroesophageal reflux disease patients. In patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease, altered desmosomal junction morphology was only found in upper stratified squamous epithelium. Dilated intercellular space occurred only in upper stratified squamous epithelium and in patients with erosive esophagitis.
This study suggests that dilated intercellular space may not be uniformly present inside the esophageal mucosa and predominantly it is located in upper squamous epithelium. Presence of desmosomal junction alterations is associated with increased severity of gastroesophageal reflux disease. Besides dilated intercellular space, subtle changes in ultrastructural morphology of intercellular space allow better identification of inflamed esophageal mucosa relevant to acid reflux.
背景/目的:胃食管反流病(gastroesophageal reflux disease,GERD)细胞间隙的超微结构特征尚未得到充分研究。本研究旨在探讨 GERD 患者细胞间隙结构和紧密连接蛋白是否存在细微改变。
收集食管胃结合部上 5cm 处活检组织,纳入无症状对照者 6 例、无糜烂但有反流症状者 10 例和糜烂性食管炎者 18 例。通过透射电镜观察超微结构,免疫组化检测紧密连接蛋白(claudin-1 和 claudin-2)。
无症状对照者和 GERD 患者的紧密连接蛋白表达无差异。在 GERD 患者中,仅在上皮分化区可见桥粒连接改变;细胞间隙扩张仅在上皮分化区和糜烂性食管炎患者中出现。
本研究提示细胞间隙扩张可能并非食管黏膜固有改变,主要位于食管上段鳞状上皮;桥粒连接改变与 GERD 严重程度相关。除细胞间隙扩张外,细胞间隙超微结构的细微改变可更好地识别与酸反流相关的炎症性食管黏膜。