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Enhanced activation of eosinophils in peripheral blood and implications for eosinophilic esophagitis diagnosis
Author(s) -
Botan Valéria,
Santos Borges Tatiana Karla,
Rocha Alves Érica Alessandra,
Claudino Pereira Couto Shirley,
Bender Kohnert Seidler Heinrich,
MunizJunqueira Maria Imaculada
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of gastroenterology and hepatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.214
H-Index - 130
eISSN - 1440-1746
pISSN - 0815-9319
DOI - 10.1111/jgh.13710
Subject(s) - eosinophilic esophagitis , medicine , eosinophil , peripheral blood , gastroenterology , disease , pathology , immunology , asthma
Background and Aim Eosinophils are markers of the eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) disease, and this work aimed to assess whether activation of eosinophils could be a noninvasive test to contribute for EoE diagnosis. Methods The activation state of peripheral blood eosinophils in EoE patients and control subjects was assessed based on the morphological aspects of the eosinophil after adherence to slide. Cyclooxygenase‐2 and 5‐lipoxygenase expressions were evaluated by means of immunofluorescence microscopy to verify if and which eicosanoid pathway is triggered in eosinophils in blood in EoE. Results The eosinophils of patients with EoE were significantly more activated than those of control individuals. The lowest percentage of normal eosinophils for control subjects was 40%, while the highest percentage of eosinophils of normal aspect for patients with EoE was 32%. Considering 36% as a cutoff for normal eosinophils, this value differentiated all individuals with EoE from individuals without the disease with a sensitivity of 100%, considering the diagnosis of EoE as currently defined. Eosinophils of EoE patients showed higher expression of cyclooxygenase‐2 than those of control subjects. Conclusions The quantification of morphological changes in eosinophils is a feasible, easy, and reliable manner to identify EoE patients. Therefore, patients with symptoms of esophageal dysfunction showing higher than 36% activated eosinophils in peripheral blood could be a useful way to help definition and diagnostic criterion for EoE.