MAST CELLS DISTINGUISH EOSINOPHILIC ESOPHAGITIS IN PEDIATRIC PATIENTS.

Arq Gastroenterol

Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brasil.

Published: November 2017

Background:: Mast cells exert a substantial role in gastrointestinal allergic diseases. Therefore, it is reasonable to presume that mast cell may aid diagnosis in eosinophilic gastroenteropathy.

Objective:: To evaluate whether mast cell count in the esophageal epithelium can discriminate eosinophilic esophagitis, proton-pump inhibitor (PPI)-responsive eosinophilic esophagitis and gastroesophageal reflux esophagitis.

Methods:: Retrospectively we reviewed the files of 53 consecutive patients (age: 7.8 years; range: 8-14 years) with definitive diagnose established during clinical follow up in a universitary outpatient clinic as follow: eosinophilic esophagitis (N=23), PPI-responsive eosinophilic esophagitis (N=15) and gastroesophageal reflux esophagitis (N=15). Eosinophil count in the esophageal epithelium in slides stained with H-E was reviewed and immunohistochemistry for mast cell tryptase was performed.

Results:: Count of eosinophils/high-power field (HPF) higher than 15 were found in 14 out of 15 reflux esophagitis patients. The mean count of eosinophils/HPF was similar in eosinophilic esophagitis patients and in those with PPI-responsive eosinophilic esophagitis (42 and 39 eosinophils/HPF, respectively, P=0.47). Values of mast cell tryptase (+) were higher in eosinophilic esophagitis [median: 25 mast cells/HPF; range (17-43) ] and in PPI-responsive eosinophilic esophagitis patients [25 (16-32) ], compared to reflux esophagitis [4 (2-14) ], P<0.001. There was no difference between the mean count of mast cells/HPF in the esophageal epithelium of eosinophilic esophagitis patients and PPI-responsive eosinophilic esophagitis patients, respectively, 26 and 24 mast cells/HPF, P=0.391.

Conclusion:: Tryptase staining of mast cells differentiates eosinophilic esophagitis from reflux esophagitis.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0004-2803.201700000-23DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

eosinophilic esophagitis
36
mast cell
16
ppi-responsive eosinophilic
16
esophagitis
12
reflux esophagitis
12
esophagitis patients
12
eosinophilic
10
mast cells
8
count esophageal
8
esophageal epithelium
8

Similar Publications

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!