Variation in Fatty Acid Synthase, Ki67 and p53 Esophageal Mucosa Expressions in Barrett’s Esophagus Patients Treated for One Year with Two Esomeprazole Different Regimens

Abstract

Barrett’s esophagus (BE) is an acquired pre-malignant condition that results from chronic gastroesophageal reflux. The malignant transformation occurred in 0.5% of patients/year and was independent of medical and endoscopic conservative treatments. Fatty acid synthase (FAS) is a multifunctional enzyme that catalyzes the synthesis of long-chain fatty acids from acetyl-coenzyme A, malonyl-coenzyme A, a reduced form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH), and adenosine triphosphate. Activation of FAS is closely linked to malignant transformation. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the variation of FAS, p53, and Ki67 expressions in two groups of 21 BE patients each, after one year of continuous (group A) or discontinuous (group B) treatment with esomeprazole 40 mg/day in comparison to the initial expression. In both the two groups of BE patients, biopsies were taken from pathologic sites of the mucosa for histological and immuno-histochemical detection of FAS, Ki67, and p53 at entry and after one year of Esomeprazole 40 mg treatment. FAS expression was positive when a strong granular cytoplasmic staining was observed in esophageal cells. Ki67 and p53 were defined as positive when nuclear staining was clearly detected at ×10 magnification. FAS expression was reduced in 43% of patients treated with Esomeprazole continuously in comparison to the 10% of patients treated with Esomeprazole on demand (p = 0.002). Ki67 expression was reduced in 28% of continuously treated patients in comparison to 5% of patients treated on demand (p = 0.001). The p53 expression decreased in 19% of continuously treated patients in comparison to an increase in 2 patients (9%) treated on demand (p = 0.05). Continuously Esomeprazole treatment could help in the diminution of metabolic and proliferative activities in the esophageal columnar epithelium and in part it can help prevent the oxidative damage against cellular DNA, resulting in a diminution in p53 expression.