title: Mast cells are associated with exacerbations and eosinophilia in children with severe asthma.
abstract: The role of mast cells in the pathogenesis of childhood asthma is poorly understood. We aimed to estimate the implication of airway mucosal mast cells in severe asthma and their relationship with clinical, functional, inflammatory and remodelling parameters.Bronchial biopsies were performed in 36 children (5-18 years) with severe asthma: 24 had frequent severe exacerbations and/or daily symptoms in the previous year (symptomatic group), and 12 had few symptoms and a persistent obstructive pattern (paucisymptomatic group). Nine children without asthma were included as control subjects. We assessed mast cells in the submucosa and airway smooth muscle using c-kit antibodies and in the entire biopsy area using Giemsa.The number of submucosal mast cells was higher in the symptomatic group than in the paucisymptomatic group (p=0.02). The number of submucosal mast cells correlated with the number of severe exacerbations (p=0.02, r=0.37). There were positive correlations between the number of submucosal mast cells (p<0.01, r=0.44), airway smooth muscle mast cells (p=0.02, r= 0.40), mast cells stained by Giemsa (p<0.01, r=0.44) and submucosal eosinophils.Mast cells are associated with severe exacerbations and submucosal eosinophilic inflammation in children with severe asthma.
authors: Service de Pneumologie et d'Allergologie Pédiatriques, AP-HP, Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, Paris, France.|Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France.
authors: Guillaume
authors: G
authors: Lezmi
authors: Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France.|Service d'Anatomopathologie, AP-HP, Hôpital Universitaire Necker-Enfants Malades, Paris, France.
authors: Louise
authors: L
authors: Galmiche-Rolland
authors: Service de Pneumologie et d'Allergologie Pédiatriques, AP-HP, Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, Paris, France.
authors: Sabine
authors: S
authors: Rioux
authors: Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France.|Service d'Anatomopathologie, AP-HP, Hôpital Universitaire Necker-Enfants Malades, Paris, France.
authors: Francis
authors: F
authors: Jaubert
authors: Université Lille Nord de France, Lille, France.|Centre d'Infection et d'Immunité de Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, Lille, France.
authors: Isabelle
authors: I
authors: Tillie-Leblond
authors: Service de Pneumologie et d'Allergologie Pédiatriques, AP-HP, Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, Paris, France.|Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France.
authors: Pierre
authors: P
authors: Scheinmann
authors: Université Lille Nord de France, Lille, France.|Centre d'Infection et d'Immunité de Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, Lille, France.|Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 8204, Lille, France.|Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U1019, Lille, France.|Institut Fédératif de la Recherche 142, Lille, France.
authors: Philippe
authors: P
authors: Gosset
authors: Service de Pneumologie et d'Allergologie Pédiatriques, AP-HP, Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, Paris, France j.deblic@nck.aphp.fr.|Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France.
authors: Jacques
authors: J
authors: de Blic
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000906:Antibodies / Q000737:chemistry; D001249:Asthma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001706:Biopsy; D001980:Bronchi / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001991:Bronchitis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004802:Eosinophilia / Q000378:metabolism*; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000166:cytology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000473:pathology; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000378:metabolism; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit