MUCOSAL POLYAMINE METABOLISM IN THE COLUMNAR LINED ESOPHAGUS

Mucosal ornithine decarboxylase activity and polyamine content has bee n proposed as a Possible marker for malignant potential in gastrointes tinal mucosa. Polyamine content and histological findings were examine d in 107 pairs of endoscopic biopsy specimens taken from gastric fundu s, fundic and specialised Barrett's oesophagus and Barrett's adenocarc inoma. The content of putrescine (median nmol/mg protein, range) the p rimary product of ornithine decarboxylase showed a progressive increas e from gastric fundus (0.41, 0.15-1-5); fundic (0.45, 0.01-4.08); spec ialised Barrett's oesophagus (0-54, 0.01-2.0); dysplastic columnar lin ed oesophagus (0.56, 0.31-3.1) to adenocarcinoma (1.23, 0.29-8.98). Ad enocarcinoma putrescine content was significantly greater than gastric fundus (p<0.018) and fundic (p<0.03). Mucosal spermine, spermidine, a nd total polyamine values were greater in gastric fundus than fundic, specialised Barrett's oesophagus, and dysplastic columnar lined oesoph agus (all p<0.001) suggesting failure to further metabolise putrescine to its higher polyamines in the metaplastic epithelium. Although meta plastic columnar lined oesophagus shows significant differences in pol yamine metabolic activity from the stomach the important distinction b etween specialised and dysplastic columnar lined oesophagus cannot be made by measuring the polyamine content.