Expression of CDX2 and MUC2 in Barrett's mucosa.

Barrett's mucosa is a risk factor for esophageal adenocarcinoma and should be detected at an early stage. It is defined by the presence of columnar epithelium with goblet cells in the lower esophagus, but histologic diagnosis can be uncertain in the absence of distinct goblet cells. We investigated 55 biopsies from 48 patients with endoscopically plain Barrett's esophagus and performed immunohistochemistry for CDX2 and MUC2.