Role of salivary epidermal growth factor in the pathogenesis of Barrett's columnar lined oesophagus.

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) is implicated in the regeneration of epithelial cells at the site of inflammation or ulceration in the gastrointestinal tract. Single parotid EGF concentration and production was studied in 64 patients with Barrett's columnar lined oesophagus (CLO), in 22 patients with severe reflux oesophagitis without columnar metaplasia and in 51 normal controls. In control patients, mean salivary EGF concentration was 2790 pg/ml (median 1450 pg/ml; range 450-16,500 pg/ml) and mean single parotid EGF production was 2550 pg/min (median 1750 pg/min; range 790-18,000 pg/min). Patients with severe reflux oesophagitis had a similar EGF concentration (mean 3112 pg/ml; median 1500 pg/ml; range 300-16,000 pg/ml) and production (mean 3100 pg/min; median 2200 pg/min; range 790-17,950 pg/min) to controls. Patients with CLO had a 62 per cent lower mean EGF concentration (mean 1197 pg/ml; median 640 pg/ml; range 233-4500 pg/ml) (P less than 0.001, Mann-Whitney U test) and a 60 per cent lower EGF production (mean 1254 pg/min; median 800 pg/min; range 170-3125 pg/min) (P less than 0.001, Mann-Whitney U test) than patients with severe reflux oesophagitis. A subpopulation with malignant change in CLO (n = 16) had a similar EGF concentration and production to the CLO group as a whole (mean 1240 and 1300 pg/min, respectively). Low salivary EGF levels are associated with Barrett's CLO but not with severe oesophagitis without columnar metaplasia. EGF levels do not identify those patients who will subsequently develop malignant change.