Regulatory peptides in Barrett's oesophagus.

Barrett's epithelium refers to the presence of ectopic mucosal types in the squamous-lined oesophagus. Previous studies have documented argentaffin and argyrophil-positive cells as well as gastrin-like immunoreactivity in oesophageal tissue extracts from patients with Barrett's mucosa. In the present study, 125 oesophageal biopsies obtained under direct vision at endoscopy from 22 patients with Barrett's oesophagus were systematically studied using fluorescence and peroxidase antiperoxidase single and double-staining immunocytochemical methods employing highly specific antibodies to localize the following peptide-containing cell types in Barrett's mucosa: gastrin, somatostatin, gastric inhibitory polypeptide, motilin, neurotensin and pancreatic glucagon. In addition, EC cells were localized using a cytochemical silver staining method. The results of this study indicate that EC cells and gastrin- and somatostatin-containing endocrine cells are detectable in Barrett's epithelium.