Egg allergen-specific T-cell and cytokine responses in healthy and egg-allergic children naturally tolerating baked egg.

Background: Type 1 regulatory T (Tr1) cells are critical players in maintaining peripheral tolerance, by producing high IL-10 levels in association with inducible T-cell co-stimulator (ICOS) expression. Whether these cells play a role in naturally acquired baked egg tolerance is unknown.

Objectives: Evaluate frequencies of egg-responsive Tr1 and Th2 cells in egg-allergic children that naturally acquired baked egg tolerance (BET) versus non-egg-allergic (NEA) children.

Functional MRGPRX2 expression on peripheral blood-derived human mast cells increases at low seeding density and is suppressed by interleukin-9 and fetal bovine serum.

Primary human mast cells (MC) obtained through culturing of blood-derived MC progenitors are the preferred model for the study of MRGPRX2- IgE-mediated MC activation. In order to assess the impact of culture conditions on functional MRGPRX2 expression, we cultured CD34-enriched PBMC from peripheral whole blood (PB) and buffy coat (BC) samples in MethoCult medium containing stem cell factor (SCF) and interleukin (IL)-3, modified through variations in seeding density and adding or withholding IL-6, IL-9 and fetal bovine serum (FBS). Functional expression of MRGPRX2 was assessed after 4 weeks via flow cytometry.

Pediatric eosinophilic esophagitis: a Belgian single-center retrospective analysis reveals real-life difficulties in diagnosis and treatment.

Introduction: Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a chronic immune-mediated disorder characterized by eosinophilic infiltration of the esophageal mucosa.

Methods: This study aimed to provide insights into the clinical characteristics, diagnostic evaluation, treatment modalities, and outcomes of EoE in a pediatric population through a retrospective analysis of 79 patients followed in a single tertiary referral center between 2014 and 2020.

Results: As expected, a higher male prevalence was observed.

Rare presence and function of neuroendocrine cells in the nasal mucosa.

There is growing evidence that neurogenic inflammation contributes to the pathophysiology of upper airway diseases, with nasal hyperreactivity (NHR) being a key symptom. The rare neuroendocrine cells (NECs) in the epithelium have been linked to the pathophysiology of bronchial and intestinal hyperreactivity, however their presence in the nasal mucosa and their potential role in NHR remains unclear. Therefore, we studied the presence of NECs in the nasal epithelium of controls, allergic rhinitis patients and chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps patients, and their link to NHR.