Abstract
Barrett’s esophagus (BE) is regarded as precancerous lesion of esophageal adenocarcinomas (EAC), arising in the distal esophagus, due to the chronically damaging effect of gastroesophageal reflux. However, not all EAC are associated with BE, and the exact cellular origin remains unknown. Similar to other solid tumors, a cancer stem cell (CSC) hypothesis has been suggested. Expression of the intestinal stem cell marker LgR5 was investigated in a series (n = 70) of esophageal carcinomas. LgR5 expression was found in EAC with and without BE, but not in esophageal SCC. A subpopulation of proliferating Lgr5+ cells (<5 %) might comprise the rapidly proliferating stem cell compartiment, or postmitotic dedifferentiated cells, which requires further investigation.
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