1.   Few data are available on either the prevalence of oesophageal mucosal disease in asthmatics or the effect of bronchodilator therapy on the oesophageal mucosa.

2.   To determine the role of EGF in oesophageal disease, its quantity and distribution in the oesophageal mucosa of control subjects and patients with oesophageal disease were studied.

3.   Negative control slides comprised normal oesophageal mucosa which had been treated with either avidin-biotin or EGF monoclonal antibody alone.

4.   In sections from normal oesophageal mucosa, almost all the endothelium in the papillae stain positively for EGF.

5.   On the other hand, sections from inflamed oesophageal mucosa contain little EGF in the capillary endothelium resulting in few EGF positive papillae.

6.   Consequently, the proportion of papillae with EGF positive capillaries was significantly decreased in inflamed oesophageal mucosa compared with normal oesophageal mucosa.

7.   In normal oesophageal mucosa the distribution of EGF does not alter from proximal to distal oesophagus.

8.   Reduced production may reflect decreased delivery of EGF to the oesophageal mucosa, which may partly explain the increased incidence and severity of oesophagitis in the elderly.

9.   Injury of the oesophageal mucosa can result from exposure to refluxed gastric acid and pepsin.

10.   Oesophagitis was seen only in the group with impaired peristalsis, confirming the close association between a change in oesophageal motility and injury of oesophageal mucosa.