• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.62 no.9
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• pp.353-359
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• 2019

Background: Researchers have shown that eosinophil peroxidase (EPO) is a relatively accurate marker of eosinophilia and eosinophil activity. However, its use as a marker of eosinophilic inflammation in nasal secretions is limited because the diagnostic cutoff values of EPO for use as a one-time test for allergic diseases such as allergic rhinitis have not been established. Purpose: To identify the correlation between nasal eosinophil count and EPO in children and adolescents with rhinitis. Methods: We recruited patients <18 years of age with rhinitis for more than 2 weeks or more than 2 episodes a year whose nasal eosinophil and EPO were measured at a single allergy clinic. The eosinophil percentage was calculated by dividing the eosinophil count by the number of total cells under light microscopy at ${\times}1,000$ magnification. EPO and protein were measured from nasal secretions. We retrospectively analyzed the correlation between nasal eosinophils and protein-corrected EPO (EPO/protein) value. Results: Of the 67 patients enrolled, 41 were male (61.2%); the mean age was $8.2{\pm}4.0years$. The median nasal eosinophil count was 1 and percentage was 1%. The median protein-corrected EPO value was $12.5ng/{\mu}g$ (range, $0-31ng/{\mu}g$). There was a statistically significant correlation between eosinophil count and percentage (P<0.001). However, the eosinophil percentage and EPO did not correlate. The eosinophil count and EPO had a statistically significant correlation (P=0.01). The EPO cutoff value examined for nasal eosinophil counts of 2, 5, 10, and 20 was $17.57ng/{\mu}g$ regardless of the reference count. The largest area under the curve value was obtained when the receiver operating characteristic curve was drawn using the eosinophil count of 2. Conclusion: Nasal eosinophil count was significantly associated with protein-corrected EPO.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.79-87
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• 2024

Purpose: Recently, the prevalence of eosinophilic gastrointestinal disease (EGID) has shown an increasing trend worldwide. As the diagnosis of EGID requires invasive endoscopy with biopsy, noninvasive markers for detecting EGID in suspected patients, particularly children, are urgently needed. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of serum eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) beyond peripheral eosinophil counts in pediatric patients with EGID. Methods: Overall, 156 children diagnosed with EGID were enrolled and 150 children with functional abdominal pain disorder (FAPD) were recruited as controls. All participants underwent endoscopic biopsy in each segment of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and serum ECP measurement, as well as peripheral eosinophil percent and absolute eosinophil count. Results: Comparing EGID (n=156) with FAPD (n=150) patients, serum ECP levels were significantly higher in pediatric patients with EGID than in those with FAPD (25.8±28.6 ㎍/L vs. 19.5±21.0 ㎍/L, p=0.007), while there was no significant difference in peripheral eosinophil percent and absolute eosinophil counts between the two groups. Serum ECP levels were correlated with peripheral eosinophil percent (r=0.593, p<0.001) and the absolute eosinophil count (r=0.660, p<0.001). The optimal cutoff value of serum ECP for pediatric EGID was 10.5 ㎍/mL, with a sensitivity of 69.9% and a specificity of 43.4% with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.562. Conclusion: The combination of serum ECP levels and peripheral eosinophil counts, when employed with appropriated thresholds, could serve as a valuable noninvasive biomarker to distinguish between EGID and FAPD in pediatric patients manifesting GI symptoms.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.83 no.3
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• pp.185-194
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• 2020

Blood eosinophil counts have emerged as a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) biomarker that predict the effects of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) in clinical practice. Post-hoc and prospective analysis of randomized control trials have shown that higher blood eosinophil counts at the start of the study predict a greater response to ICS. COPD patients with frequent exacerbations (2 or more moderate exacerbations/yr) or a history of hospitalization have a greater response to ICS. Ex-smokers also appear to have a greater ICS response. Blood eosinophil counts can be combined with clinical information such as exacerbation history and smoking status to enable a precision medicine approach to the use of ICS. Higher blood eosinophil counts are associated with increased eosinophilic lung inflammation, and other biological features that may contribute to the increased ICS response observed. Emerging data indicates that lower blood eosinophil counts are associated with an increased risk of bacterial infection, suggesting complex relationships between eosinophils, ICS response, and the airway microbiome.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.42-51
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• 2018

Objectives : This study was aimed to evaluate the correlation between changes in disease severity and serum total IgE or eosinophil count in individual patients of atopic dermatitis depending on the change of severity. Methods : We performed a retrospective chart review of 8 cases of atopic dermatitis who underwent blood tests more than five times. Disease severity was assessed by objective SCORing of Atopic Dermatitis index (OSI). Blood tests include serum total IgE, eosinophil counts, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine (SCr). In each subject, on the day that the blood test was performed, OSI was also assesed by a same physician. Correlation between OSI and total IgE or eosinophil count was analysed by nonparametric correlation analysis. Results : There was a statistically significant positive correlation between OSI and total IgE in three cases and a positive correlation between OSI and eosinophil count in two cases. In other three cases, there were no significant correlation. There were no cases that OSI correlated with total IgE and eosinophil count at the same time. In all cases, AST, ALT, BUN and SCr were stable. Conclusions : We suggest that total IgE and eosinophil count may reflect the severity of atopic dermatitis differently in individual patients. We also suggest that total IgE and eosinophil counts may be used as biomarkers to predict the severity of atopic dermatitis in some patients depending on the underlying pathology.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.35-42
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• 2005

Objective : This study was performed to investigate the effect of oral administration of Oldenlandiae Diffusae Herba (ODH) on eosinophil, immunoglobulin-E and interleukin-4 in the experimental asthma induced by ovalbumin. Methods : Asthma was induced to Balb/c mouse by i.p. injection and aerosol immunization with ovalbumin. It was observed the change of the eosinophil number in the BALF. And, it was observed the change of the concentrations of IL-4 in BALF and splenocyte, IgE in serum by ELISA. Results : 1. The number of eosinophil in BALF was significantly decreased in ODH group copared with control group. 2. Concentration of IL-4 in serum, BALF and splenocyte was significantly decreased in ODH group compared with control group, respectively. 3. Level of IgE in serum was significantly decreased in ODH group compared with control group. Conclusion : We found that the effect of ODH extract in asthma was implicated in reductions of IL-4 released from Th2 cell, and decreases of IgE from plasma cell. These findings suggest that ODH extract can produce anti-asthmatic effect, which may playa role in allergen-induced asthma therapy.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.146-160
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• 2008

Objectives: The present study was designated to evaluate the direct effects of Fructus Liquidambaris on suppression of eosinophil activity and on suppression of chemokines such as eotaxin, IL-8, ICAM-1, and VCAM-1, in vitro. Methods: A549 cells were stimulated with TNF-$\alpha$ (100 ng/ml), IL-4 (100 ng/ml) or IL-$1{\beta}$(10 ng/ml) to induce chemokines and adhesion molecules involved in eosinophil chemotaxis. Then after treatment of Fructus Liquidambaris, inhibition effect assay such as ELISA, real-time RT-PCR, and chemotaxis assay was performed. Results: Eotaxin level was suppressed in both protein secretion and mRNA expression. Eosinophil recruitment to lung epithelial cells was also reduced by Fructus Liquidambaris, implying the role of eotaxin in eosinophil recruitment. In addition, expression of IL-8 was also suppressed by Fructus Liquidambaris (p<0.05). However, expression of adhesion molecules (ICAM-1, VCAM-1) related to eosinophil was not affected. The eosinophil migration was inhibited at high concentration of Fructus Liquidambaris (p<0.05). Conclusion: These results suggest that Fructus Liquidambaris may regulate a common signaling pathway of eotaxin and IL-8. FS might be of therapeutic value in diseases such as asthma.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.62 no.9
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• pp.342-343
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• 2019

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.17-23
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• 2000

Eosinophils are important effector cells in host defense against parasites. Excretory-secretory product (ESP) produced by helminthic worms plays important roles in the uptake of nutrients, migration in the host tissue, and in immune modulation. However little is known about the ability of the ESP to directly trigger eosinophil apoptosis. This study investigated whether the ESP of newly excysted metacercariae of Paragonimus westermani could induce apoptosis in human eosinophils. Apoptosis was assayed by staining the cells with FITC-annexin V, and the cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. It was found that the ESP of newly excysted metacercariae of P. westemani induced a direct time- and concentration-dependent increase in the rate of constitutive apoptosis in mature human eosinophils. Eosinophil apoptosis was first apparent 3 hr after treatment with the ESP and continued to increase after 6 hr of incubation with respect to the cells cultured in the absence of the ESP. While only 2.8% of the eosinophils incubated in the medium for 3 hr were apoptotic, 7.6%, 10.9% and 22.6% of the eosinophils treated with 10. 30 and $100{\;}\mu\textrm{g}/ml$ ESP were apoptotic, respectively. This result suggests that the ESP of newly excysted metacercariae of P. westermani directly induce eosinophil apoptosis, which may be important for the survival of the parasites and the reduction of eosinophilic inflammation in vivo.

• Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.614-627
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• 2018

Background/Aims Although functional abdominal pain disorders (FAPDs) are common in children, the accurate pathogenesis of FAPDs is not known yet. Micro-inflammation, particularly tissue eosinophilia of gastrointestinal (GI) tract, has been suggested as the pathophysiology observed in several GI disorders. We aimed to evaluate eosinophilic infiltration throughout the entire GI tract in children with FAPDs, compared to those with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and to normal reference values. Methods We included 56 children with FAPDs, 52 children with Crohn's disease, and 23 children with ulcerative colitis. All subjects underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopic and colonoscopic examination with biopsies. Tissue eosinophil counts were assessed in 10 regions throughout the GI tract. Results Eosinophil counts of the gastric antrum, duodenum, terminal ileum, cecum, and ascending colon were significantly higher in children with FAPDs compared to normal reference values. Eosinophil counts of the stomach and the entire colon were observed to be significantly higher in children with IBD than in those with FAPDs. Even after selecting macroscopically uninvolved GI segments on endoscopy in children with IBD, eosinophil counts of the gastric body, cecum, descending colon, sigmoid colon, and the rectum were also significantly higher in children with IBD than those with FAPDs. Conclusions Significantly high eosinophil counts of the stomach and colon were observed in the order of IBD, followed by FAPDs, and normal controls, regardless of endoscopically detected macroscopic IBD lesions in children. This suggests some contribution of GI tract eosinophils in the intrinsic pathogenesis of FAPDs in children.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.121-132
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• 2000

Background : The level of serum eosinophil cationic protein(ECP) is elevated in Atopic Dermatitis patients. Objective : The aim of this study was to investigate the usefulness of serum ECP as a tool of evaluate the efficacy of herb medicine for atopic dermatitis. Material and Method : We investigated 20 patients suffering from atopic dermatitis and analyzed the relationship among the serum level of ECP, IgE, Eosinophil count, and clinical disease activity. Result: Significant elevation in the serum level of ECP, IgE, Eosinophil count is observed in Atopic Dermatitis. Conclusion : The serum level of ECP may be considered to be an useful tool in evaluate effect of herb medicine for atopic dermatitis.