Abstract
The incidence of esophageal cancer arising from Barrett's esophagus is relatively highand a relationship between adenocarcinoma of the esophagus and Barrett's metaplasia isgenerally accepted. However, there are many things unknown about the genesis ofBarrett's esophagus. In this study, the genesis of Barrett's esophagus is examined by usingarat model. Also biological character of Barrett's esophagus is examined through theDNA analysis of some clinical cases. In a rat model, a total gastrectomy is performed andan esophagojejunostomy is made, then the esophagus is removed every one month after theoperation to be examined histologically. As a result, Barrett's epithelium arising fromesophagitis is observed at the area apart from the anastomosis in cases more than 4 monthsafter the operation. The DNA analysis of Barrett's esophagus in clinical cases is made by a microfluorophotometric method. The histogram of DNA content is classified into three ploidypatterns, and the DNA pattern of Barrett's esophagus is compared with that of a normaIgastric mucosa, a normal esophagus and a regenerative epithelium of a gastric ulcer andalso with that of a gastric cancer and an esophageal cancer. In Barrett's there are somecases with an aneuploidy or a mosaic pattern which are never observed in a normal mucosaand a regenerative epithelium of a gastric ulcer, and the incident of these abnormalpatterns in Barren's esophagus is Tower than that in cancer. The width of the spread ofDNA content and the ratio of cells with more than 6C of DNA content in Barrett'sesophagus are higher than those in a normal mucosa and a regenerative epithelium of agastric ulcer and lower than thane in cancer. Through these facts it is suggested that the biological character of Barrett's esophagusin malignancy may be between that of a normal mucosa and that of cancer.
