A Retrospective Study of the Differences in the Induction of Regulatory T Cells Between Adult Patients with Eosinophilic Esophagitis and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

The protective effects of Helicobacter pylori: A comprehensive review

Previous reports have estimated that approximately half of the world’s population is infected with Helicobacter pylori, the most prevalent infectious agent responsible for gastrointestinal illnesses. Due to the life-threatening effects of H. pylori infections, numerous studies have focused on developing medical therapies for H. pylori infections, while the commensal relationship and positive impacts of this bacterium on overall human health have been largely overlooked. The inhibitory efficacy of H. pylori on the progression of several chronic inflammatory disorders and gastrointestinal diseases has recently raised concerns about whether this bacterium should be eradicated in affected individuals or maintained in an appropriate balance depending on the patient’s condition. This review investigates the beneficial effects of H. pylori in preventing various diseases and discusses the potential association of conditions such as inflammatory disorders with the absence of H. pylori.

Identification of CXC Chemokine Receptor 2 (CXCR2) as a Novel Eosinophils-Independent Diagnostic Biomarker of Pediatric Eosinophilic Esophagitis by Integrated Bioinformatic and Machine-Learning Analysis

Background

Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a complex allergic condition frequently accompanied by various atopic comorbidities in children, which significantly affects their life qualities. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate pivotal molecular markers that may facilitate the diagnosis of EoE in pediatric patients.

Methods

Three available EoE-associated gene expression datasets in children: GSE184182, GSE 197702, GSE55794, along with GSE173895 were downloaded from the GEO database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) identified by "limma" were intersected with key module genes identified by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), and the shared genes went through functional enrichment analysis. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and the machine learning algorithms: least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), random forest (RF), and XGBoost were used to reveal candidate diagnostic markers for EoE. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed the efficacy of differential diagnosis of this marker, along with online databases predicting its molecular regulatory network. Finally, we performed gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and assessed immune cell infiltration of EoE/control samples by using the CIBERSORT algorithm. The correlations between the key diagnostic biomarker and immune cells were also investigated.

Results

The intersection of 936 DEGs and 1446 key module genes in EoE generated 567 genes, which were primarily enriched in immune regulation. Following the construction of the PPI network and filtration by machine learning, CXCR2 served as a potential diagnostic biomarker of pediatric EoE with a perfect diagnostic efficacy (AUC = ~1.00) in regional tissue/peripheral whole blood samples. Multiple infiltrated immune cells were observed to participate in disrupting the homeostasis of esophageal epithelium to varying degrees.

Conclusion

The immune-correlated CXCR2 gene was proved to be a promising diagnostic indicator for EoE, and dysregulated regulatory T cells (Tregs)/neutrophils might play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of EoE in children.

Regulatory T cells Are Increased and Correlate With Mast Cells in Eosinophilic Esophagitis

Background/Aims

The incidence of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) has been increasing recently. The role of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and correlations with other inflammatory cells in EoE remain unknown. We aim to clarify the role of Tregs and their correlations with inflammatory cells in EoE patients.

Methods

Biopsies from controls and EoE patients before and after treatments were analyzed. Eosinophil infiltration was evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Immunohistochemical staining was performed to examine infiltration of T cells, Tregs, and mast cells. Gene expressions of chemokines were evaluated by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction.

Results

Tregs and mast cells were increased in the esophageal epithelial layers of EoE patients. After treatments, Tregs and mast cells were decreased when histologic remission was achieved. Infiltration of Tregs correlated significantly with numbers of eosinophils and mast cells. Filaggrin mRNA was decreased in patients with EoE before treatment and upregulated after treatment, even when histologic remission was not achieved.

Conclusions

Tregs were increased in esophageal epithelium of patients with EoE, and correlated with mast cell infiltration.