title: Mast cell tryptase in sera of patients with Crohn's disease and mastocytosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The pathogenesis of Crohn's disease is unclear, but an abnormal immune response seems to play an important role. This study investigated whether serum tryptase could be shown in Crohn's disease as a marker of disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mast cell tryptase was detected in sera of 48 patients with active Crohn's disease, 31 patients with inactive Crohn's disease, 17 patients with mastocytosis, and 50 controls. Tryptase detection was carried out by UniCap System. Tryptase levels are given as U/l x m2 body surface area to overcome variations of body weight, height, etc. between malnourished and normal persons.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum tryptase levels (U/l x m2 body surface area) of controls were 2.4+/-1.0, of patients with Crohn's disease 2.5+/-2.0. In contrast, serum tryptase values were significantly increased in untreated patients with mastocytosis (21.19+/-18.55).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mast cell tryptase is not elevated in sera of Crohn's disease. It might thus be speculated that this highly mast cell associated mediator might only contribute to local symptoms of Crohn's disease such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, etc., but not to its systemic inflammatory effects (Th 1 cytokine pattern). Tryptase may be well used for the screening of patients with mastocytosis.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Medicine, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Functional Tissue Diagnostics, Ulmenweg, Erlangen, Germany. Thomas.deRossi@uk-erlangen.de
authors.forename: Thomas Michael
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: de Rossi
authors.forename: Norbert
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Krauss
authors.forename: Verena
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Wilken
authors.forename: Benita
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Giera
authors.forename: Peter C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Konturek
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kressel
authors.forename: Eckhart Georg
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Hahn
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Raithel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D004796:Clinical Enzyme Tests / Q000379:methods; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008415:Mastocytosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D053802:Tryptases / Q000097:blood*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D053802:Tryptases