title: Elevated plasma cytokines in Japanese patients with eosinophilic esophagitis and gastroenteritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The role of Th2-type cytokines in development of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) has been largely revealed, whereas research on the pathogenesis of eosinophilic gastroenteritis (EGE) has not been widely performed. We investigated the possible involvement of Th2-type cytokines in EGE by measuring plasma cytokine concentrations in patients with EGE as well as those with EoE.
  
  
  METHODS
  18 patients with EoE, 18 with EGE, and 30 normal volunteers were enrolled in the study. Plasma concentrations of five cytokines (thymic stromal lymphopoietin, IL-5, IL-13, IL-15, and eotaxin-3) were measured using Milliplex assays. Clinical characteristics of the patients and plasma cytokine levels were then compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Higher proportions of patients with EoE and those with EGE showed elevated plasma concentrations of IL-5 and IL-15 as compared to the normal controls. There was also a positive correlation between IL-5 and IL-15, and also with blood eosinophil count. The plasma concentrations of these cytokines tended to be higher in cases with EGE than in those with EoE, though there were overlaps in cytokine levels among the patients and controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Similar increases in plasma IL-5 and IL-15 were observed in patients with EoE and those with EGE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Shimane University School of Medicine, Izumo, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshikazu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kinoshita
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Furuta
authors.forename: Norihisa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ishimura
authors.forename: Shunji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ishihara
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D004751:Enteritis / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D004802:Eosinophilia / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D057765:Eosinophilic Esophagitis / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005756:Gastritis / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D016207:Cytokines