Expression data from fibroblasts cultured from oesophageal biopsies, taken from metaplasia, dysplasia and EAC specimens.

Since fibroblasts are a key component of the stroma with an established role in cancer, we investigated the contribution of fibroblasts to the signature observed in the stromal compartment. 13 clonally derived primary stromal fibroblasts were generated from metaplasia, dysplasia and EAC specimens. Expression of a panel of known fibroblast markers and concomitant absence of epithelial markers confirmed their fibroblastic origin. Gene expression profiling of these esophageal fibroblasts demonstrated that three ontologies related to an invasive phenotype (chemotaxis, cell adhesion, regulation of angiogenesis) differentiated cancer associated from BE fibroblasts. Furthermore, the ontologies and KEGG pathways relating to inflammation were all statistically upregulated in the fibroblast signature.

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Saadi A, Shannon NB, Lao-Sirieix P, O'Donovan M, Walker E, Clemons NJ, Hardwick JS, Zhang C, Das M, Save V, Novelli M, Balkwill F, Fitzgerald RC