Early Detection of Barrett's Esophagus

Background:

The incidence rate for esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) has risen 10% per year over the past two decades and is the most rapidly increasing cancer in the U.S.

Barrett's esophagus (BE), a metaplastic change from the normal squamous esophageal epithelium to a specialized intestinal-type columnar mucosa, increases the risk of EAC by 30-125 fold (1), and is considered a precursor lesion for EAC.

Individuals diagnosed with BE are currently entered into endoscopic surveillance programs to look for dysplasia or EAC. However, only 5% of subjects diagnosed with EAC have a previous diagnosis of BE or have been part of a surveillance program, so alternative screening methods are needed.

Objectives:

The primary goal of this project is to identify a practical blood-based biomarker(s) that can be used as a screening test to determine who has BE and who does not.

Secondary goals of the project are to characterize germ line and tissue biomarkers associated with BE, and to compare biomarkers in non-BE patients with and without GERD.

Tertiary goals are to explore associations between biomarkers in blood or tissue and progression from BE to dysplasia or EAC, and to assess the stability of proteomic patterns over time.

Eligibility:

This study will be conducted among patients in the Barretts Esophagus Registry (currently with 206 registrants) established at the National Naval Medical Center (NNMC) in Bethesda beginning in 1992 as well as comparison group of approximately 600 matched non-BE patients endoscoped in the GI clinic at NNMC for other conditions.

Design:

Blood and tissue samples will be collected as well as questionnaire data on risk factors and medications as well as GERD.

Data analysis will be based primarily on laboratory testing of newly collected esophageal biopsies, brush samples, and blood samples, but secondarily will also include use of archival tissue biopsy samples.

Follow-up of BE Registry patients will include standard periodic surveillance endoscopies, additional blood samples, and ascertainment of disease status (i.e, progression).

To distinguish BE versus non-BE patients, we will: (1) assess predictability of BE status from serum proteomic patters; (2) characterize esophageal biopsies and brush samples for selected DNA alterations, RNA expression, and proteomic profiles; (3) genotype patients for selected polymorphisms potentially associated with BE; (4) compare blood and tissue biomarkers in non-BE patients with and without GERD; (5) explore the association of biomarkers with progression from BE to dysplasia or EAC; and (6) assess proteomic pattern stability over time in BE patients.