title: Increased counts and degranulation of duodenal mast cells and eosinophils in functional dyspepsia- a clinical study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Immune factors, especially mast cells and eosinophils, play an important role in the pathogenesis of functional dyspepsia. However, the role of these cells in the duodenum has not been fully understood in patients with functional dyspepsia. We aimed to investigate the infiltration and activation of mast cells and eosinophils in the duodena of subjects with functional dyspepsia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Duodenal biopsies obtained in 48 patients with functional dyspepsia and 21 healthy volunteers were collected for the study. Eosinophils in the bulb (D1) and the descending part (D2) of the duodenum were identified and counted by hematoxylin and eosin (H and E) staining. Major basic protein immunostaining was used to evaluate eosinophil degranulation, as well as mast cells and mast cell degranulation was identified by toluidine blue staining.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the D2 area, compared to controls, functional dyspepsia patients showed a marked increase in eosinophil cell numbers (p=0.008) and eosinophil degranulation rate (p=0.005). Mast cell numbers were significantly increased in patients compared with controls in the D1 (p=0.002) and D2 areas (p less than 0.001), and the degranulation rates of mast cells were significantly increased in functional dyspepsia patients in the D1 (p=0.028) and D2 areas (p=0.044).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Duodenal eosinophils and mast cells may be involved in the pathogenesis of functional dyspepsia.
authors.affiliation: 1Department of General Surgery, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin Province, 2Department of Gastroenterology, Taian City Central Hospital, Taian City, Shandong Province; China.
authors.forename: Shijun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Haishan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Gaiqin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiaopei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiaohong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015550:Cell Degranulation / Q000502:physiology; D004386:Duodenum / Q000473:pathology*; D004415:Dyspepsia / Q000473:pathology*; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged