Cytosponge for Gastric Intestinal Metaplasia

Cytosponge is a less invasive procedure than endoscopy and consists of an expandable, spherical mesh, which is attached to a string and contained within a soluble capsule. Five minutes after swallowing (once the capsule has dissolved), the spherical mesh, which measures around 3cm in diameter can be retrieved by pulling on the string. Upon retrieval the Cytosponge scrapes against the surface of the top of the stomach and oesophagus and collect epithelial cells. The Cytosponge sample is then placed into a preservative fluid and the specimen is processed for molecular tests. Trefoil Factor 3 (TFF3) is a protein that is expressed in intestinal type epithelia of the gastrointestinal tract. TFF3 is the best biomarker, which can be coupled to the Cytosponge to diagnose intestinal metaplasia.