ArticleGut1999
Oesophageal epithelial innervation in health and reflux oesophagitis.
Article in Gut, 1999. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 24 citations in OpenAlex.
- Immune functions of the esophagus.The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology · 2026Review
- Neuro-immune-epithelial pathways involving substance P may contribute to mucosal pathology in gastro-oesophageal reflux disease.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Article
- The oesophagus as an immune organ.Nature reviews. Gastroenterology & hepatology · 2025Review
- Mucosal neuroimmune mechanisms in gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) pathogenesis.Journal of gastroenterology · 2024Review
- Gastroesophageal Reflux and Its Association With Atrial Fibrillation: A Traditional Review.Cureus · 2020Review
- Neuroepithelial control of mucosal inflammation in acute cystitis.Scientific reports · 2018Article
- Cardiac autonomic dysfunction in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease.World journal of gastroenterology · 2015Observational
- Distinct afferent innervation patterns within the human proximal and distal esophageal mucosa.American journal of physiology. Gastrointestinal and liver physiology · 2015Article
- Acid burn or cytokine sizzle in the pathogenesis of heartburn?Journal of gastroenterology and hepatology · 2013Article
- Atrial fibrillation and acid reflux disease.Clinical cardiology · 2012Review
- From Reflux Esophagitis to Esophageal Adenocarcinoma.Digestive diseases (Basel, Switzerland)Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe response of the oesophagus to refluxed gastric contents is likely to depend on intact neural mechanisms in the oesophageal mucosa. The epithelial innervation has not been systematically evaluated in health or reflux disease.
aimsTo study oesophageal epithelial innervation in controls, and also inflamed and non-inflamed mucosa in patients with reflux oesophagitis and healed oesophagitis. PATIENTS: Ten controls, nine patients with reflux oesophagitis, and five patients with healed oesophagitis.
methodsOesophageal epithelial biopsy specimens were obtained at endoscopy. The distribution of the neuronal marker protein gene product 9.5 (PGP), and the neuropeptides calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP), neuropeptide Y (NPY), substance P (SP), and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) were investigated by immunohistochemistry. Density of innervation was assessed by the proportion of papillae in each oesophageal epithelial biopsy specimen containing immunoreactive fibres (found in the subepithelium and epithelial papillae, but not penetrating the epithelium).
resultsThe proportion of papillae positive for PGP immunoreactive nerve fibres was significantly increased in inflamed tissue when compared with controls, and non-inflamed and healed tissue. There was also a significant increase in VIP immunoreactive fibres within epithelial papillae. Other neuropeptides showed no proportional changes in inflammation.
conclusionsEpithelial biopsy specimens can be used to assess innervation in the oesophagus. The innervation of the oesophageal mucosa is not altered in non-inflamed tissue of patients with oesophagitis but alters in response to inflammation, where there is a selective increase (about three- to fourfold) in VIP containing nerves.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.