Healing of the Esophageal Mucosa After Radiofrequency Ablation of Barrett's Esophagus

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a mainstay of treatment for patients who have Barrett's esophagus (BE) with dysplasia. For unclear reasons, Barrett's esophagus recurs after successful RFA treatment in approximately 1/3 of patients. Little is known of how the esophagus heals after RFA treatment, and a better understanding of this healing process might provide insights into how to prevent Barrett's metaplasia from recurring after successful ablation.

The aim of this study is to characterize the healing process of the esophageal mucosa, histologically and at the molecular level, after RFA for non-dysplastic and dysplastic Barrett's esophagus. Patients with Barrett's esophagus will undergo surveillance endoscopy with biopsy. This will be followed by RFA treatment of the BE and follow up endoscopy will be performed 1, 2, and 4 weeks after RFA. Healing at each time point will be assessed endoscopically, and molecular markers related to healing will be studied. Stem cell expression markers, immune cells and markers of epithelial-mesenchymal transition will be compared with baseline expression for each patient. Protocol has been modified to provide a collaborative effort between the Dallas VAMC and Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Dallas, TX. Veteran participants electing to participate will receive initial screening and endoscopy at the Dallas VAMC and will continue with RFA and follow-up endoscopies at Baylor. An identical protocol has been approved at Baylor Scott & White Medical center. Patients who are screened and enrolled at Baylor will receive all treatments at that location.