부산대학교 도서관

Background: Overexpression of TGF-β has been linked to the occurrence of excessive fibrosis in both surgical skin wounds and in renal allografts after transplantation. Its involvement in the pathogenesis of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease has not been reported. Methods: Endoscopic oesophageal biopsies were obtained from control subjects free of reflux symptoms (n = 4), patients with reflux symptoms but no oesophagitis (n = 4), patients with grade 2 oesophagitis (n = 4), patients with oesophageal strictures (n = 4) and patients with Barrett's oesophagus (n = 4). A lightcycler was employed to perform real time quantitative RT-PCR for TGF-β on the biopsies. Results: The table indicates the level of TGF-β expression according to the endoscopic findings. The values indicated are median and range. There was an increase in the level of TGF-β expression as the severity of mucosal injury progressed, so that patients with oesophageal strictures had an eight-fold higher level of TGF-β expression than control subjects. Patients with Barrett's oesophagus had the lowest levels of TGF-β expression of all patient groups. Conclusions: These findings indicate that excess TGF-β expression is related to the genesis of fibrosis in the oesophagus as a consequence of gastrooesophageal reflux. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]