Barrett食管(BE)是指食管下段粘膜的鳞状上皮被柱状上皮所取代的一种病理现象。通常认为,BE是因严重胃食管返流所致。形成Barrett粘膜至少需二个必要条件,即食管鳞状上皮损伤和上皮修复时的异常环境,这已被实验动物模型证实。胃食管返流既破坏了食管鳞状上皮又在粘膜修复时提供了异常环境,由此导致产生柱状上皮。通过组织化学方法及动物模型均证实Barrett粘膜不是单纯由邻近胃上皮延伸而是由组织化生所致的,但是其细胞来源及胃液在化生中所起的作用不详。食管长期接触细胞毒制剂而不是胃液(例如抗肿 The Barrett’s esophagus (BE) is a pathological phenomenon in which the squamous epithelium of the lower esophageal mucosa is replaced by columnar epithelium. It is generally believed that BE is due to severe gastroesophageal reflux. The formation of Barrett’s mucous membrane requires at least two necessary conditions, namely, an abnormal environment of esophageal squamous epithelial damage and epithelial repair, which has been confirmed by experimental animal models. Gastroesophageal reflux not only destroys the esophageal squamous epithelium but also provides an abnormal environment during mucosal repair, resulting in columnar epithelium. Both histochemical methods and animal models have confirmed that Barrett’s mucosa is not caused solely by the extension of the adjacent gastric epithelium but by histopathogenesis, but its cell origin and the role of gastric fluid in metaplasia are unknown. Long-term esophageal exposure to cytotoxic agents rather than gastric fluids (eg, swelling