PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - RUBIO, CARLOS A.
AU  - DICK, EDWARD J.
AU  - ORREGO, ABIEL
AU  - HUBBARD, GENE B.
TI  - The Frequency of Glassy Cells in Barrett's Mucosa: A Study in Baboons
DP  - 2009 Nov 01
TA  - In Vivo
PG  - 925--927
VI  - 23
IP  - 6
4099  - http://iv.iiarjournals.org/content/23/6/925.short
4100  - http://iv.iiarjournals.org/content/23/6/925.full
SO  - In Vivo2009 Nov 01; 23
AB  - Background: Glands with glassy cells (GGCs) were recently found in 1.8% of patients showing Barrett's mucosa in esophageal biopsies. Similar GGCs were more recently detected in a baboon having glandulo-metaplastic esophageal mucosa (GMEM). The aim was to assess the frequency of baboons with GMEM having GGCs. Materials and Methods: GGCs were sought in 68 consecutive baboons having GMEM. Sections were stained with H&E, and with alcian blue (pH 2.5) to detect sialomucins in goblet cells (a marker of Barrett's mucosa in GMEM). Results: Two out of the 68 baboons with Barrett's mucosa (2.9%) showed GGCs. Conclusion: In similarity to humans, the Barrett's mucosa in baboons may show GGCs. Although the significance of GGCs in baboons (and in humans) remains poorly understood, their presence might not be a fortuitous event but may be linked to the molecular events leading to the development of intestinal metaplasia in Barrett's mucosa, a known pre-neoplastic mucosal change in the distal esophagus in humans.