title: Role of serological markers of activated eosinophils in inflammatory bowel diseases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Activated eosinophils can infiltrate the intestinal mucosa in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and eosinophils are also implicated in the histological damage seen in allergic diseases.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess, in a group of patients with IBD in remission or with a mild disease activity, whether serological markers of eosinophil activation, eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) and eosinophil protein X (EPX), are related to evidence of IgE hypersensitivity and to the eosinophilia in gut mucosa.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-one patients with IBD (21 Crohn's disease and 40 ulcerative colitis) in remission or with a mild disease activity were screened for IgE hypersensitivity and serological levels of ECP and EPX. Colonic biopsies were taken to assess mucosal eosinophilic infiltration.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Skin prick test were positive in 31.1% of the patients with IBD, showing skin reactions to food allergens in 17.7%. Skin prick test findings were unrelated to ECP or EPX levels, or to clinical activity or eosinophil counts in the gut mucosa. A significant correlation was found between ECP and EPX levels (r=0.77; P<0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serological ECP and EPX findings did not correlate with IgE hypersensitivity findings or eosinophilic colonic infiltration in patients with IBD in remission or with mild disease activity. The role of eosinophils in IBD needs to be better characterized in the colonic mucosa, instead of relying on serological tests.
authors.affiliation: Division of Digestive Diseases, Archet 2 Hospital, University of Nice, 151 route de Saint Antoine de Ginestière BP 3079, 06202 Nice Cedex 3, France. dainese-plichon.r@chu-nice.fr
authors.forename: Raffaella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dainese
authors.forename: Ermenegildo A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Galliani
authors.forename: Franca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Lazzari
authors.forename: Renata
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: D'Incà
authors.forename: Eugenia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mariné-Barjoan
authors.forename: Marie-Hélène
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Vivinus-Nebot
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hébuterne
authors.forename: Giacomo Carlo
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Sturniolo
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Piche
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001706:Biopsy; D003106:Colon / Q000473:pathology; D047150:Eosinophil Cationic Protein / Q000097:blood*; D047208:Eosinophil-Derived Neurotoxin / Q000097:blood*; D004802:Eosinophilia / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000150:complications; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012074:Remission Induction; D012882:Skin Tests / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D047208:Eosinophil-Derived Neurotoxin; D047150:Eosinophil Cationic Protein; C479220:RNASE3 protein, human