Characterization of metaplastic and heterotopic epithelia in the human gastrointestinal tract by the expression pattern of acyl-CoA synthetase 5
N. Gassler1, N. Obermüller2, M. Keith1, P. Schirmacher1 and F. Autschbach1
1Department of Pathology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany 2Division of Nephrology, Medical Clinic IV, University of Frankfurt/ M, Frankfurt/ M, Germany
Offprint requests to: PD Dr. Nikolaus Gassler, Universität Heidelberg, Pathologisches Institut, INF 220/221, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
Summary. Metaplastic and heterotopic epithelia are frequently found in the human intestine. The recently cloned human acyl-CoA synthetase 5 (ACS5) is a key enzyme in providing cytosolic acyl-CoA thioesters. The aim of the study was to identify and to locate the expression of ACS5 in the gastric body and the small intestine with metaplasia or heterotopia by different methods. In the normal gastrointestinal tract, ACS5 was predominantly found in the villus epithelium of the small intestine, but not in the gastric mucosa. Of note, strong expression of ACS5 was also detectable in intestinal metaplasia of the stomach. Inversely, ACS5 expression could neither be detected in heterotopic gastric mucosa of the corpus type nor in gastric, pseudopyloric, or antral metaplasia of the small intestine. In conclusion, our data implicate that ACS5 is a suitable differentiating marker molecule in the gastrointestinal tract. Histol Histopathol 20, 409-414 (2005).
Key words: ACS5, Gastrointestinal tract, Metaplasia, Villus epithelium
DOI: 10.14670/HH-20.409