Abnormal thymic stromal lymphopoietin expression in the gastrointestinal mucosa of patients with eosinophilic gastroenteritis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the differential expression of the thymic stromal lymphopoietin isoforms, short and long, and discern their biological implications under eosinophilic gastroenteritis.

METHODS: The expression of thymic stromal lymphopoietin and its two isoforms in tissues was assessed by quantitative RT-PCR in healthy controls (n=24) and patients with eosinophilic gastroenteritis (n=17).

RESULTS: Thymic stromal lymphopoietin mRNA was significantly reduced in eosinophilic gastroenteritis when compared with healthy controls (p<0.0001). A significantly lower amount of short thymic stromal lymphopoietin mRNA was observed in eosinophilic gastroenteritis when compared with controls (p<0.05), while a significantly higher amount of long thymic stromal lymphopoietin mRNA was observed in eosinophilic gastroenteritis when compared with controls (p<0.05). Peak eosinophilic count is significantly positively correlated with the expression of long thymic stromal lymphopoietin mRNA in the gastrointestinal mucosal of patients with eosinophilic gastroenteritis (rs =0.623, p<0.005), while peak eosinophilic count is significantly negatively correlated with the expression of short thymic stromal lymphopoietin mRNA in the gastrointestinal mucosal of patients with eosinophilic gastroenteritis (rs =-0.4474, p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: Abnormal mucosal thymic stromal lymphopoietin expression may contribute to gastrointestinal mucosa damage in eosinophilic gastroenteritis.