Agrin loss in Barrett's esophagus-related neoplasia and its utility as a diagnostic and predictive biomarker.

PURPOSE There is an unmet need for identifying novel biomarkers in Barrett's esophagus (BE) that could stratify patients with regards to neoplastic progression. We investigate the expression patterns of extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules in BE and BE-related neoplasia, and assess their value as biomarkers for the diagnosis of BE-related neoplasia and to predict neoplastic progression. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Gene expression analyses of ECM...