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Epidermal differentiation complex protein involucrin is down-regulated in eosinophilic esophagitis

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Abstract

Background and aims

Epidermal differential complex (EDC) proteins, such as filaggrin, involucrin, and loricrin, play key roles to protect the mucosal surface against invading pathogens. Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is an allergic gastrointestinal disease that features eosinophilic infiltration of esophageal mucosa, though the function of EDC proteins in its pathogenesis remains unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate possible differences of EDC protein expression in the epithelium of the esophagus, pharynx, and tongue. Furthermore, we examined that expression in esophageal specimens obtained from patients with EoE.

Methods

For evaluating EDC protein expression in epithelium from different locations, we enrolled 72 patients who underwent surgical resection for esophageal, pharyngeal, or tongue squamous cell carcinoma. Pathological samples were used for analysis of expression by immunohistochemistry. In addition, samples were obtained from 10 patients with EoE and 11 healthy subjects, and compared for esophageal epithelial expression of EDC proteins.

Results

In epithelium samples obtained from the esophagus, pharynx, and tongue, the presence of EDC proteins was confirmed by immunohistochemistry analysis findings, though the expression patterns were notably different in comparison to that in epidermis samples. In EoE patients, the expression of involucrin was dramatically down-regulated in esophageal mucosa, whereas down-regulation of filaggrin and loricrin did not reach a statistically significant level.

Conclusion

EDC protein expression was clearly detected in pharyngoesophageal epithelium samples, while that of involucrin alone was markedly reduced in patients with EoE.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Akira Yasuda (Department of Medical Informatics, Shimane University School of Medicine) for support regarding statistical analysis. This study was supported by the Health and Labour Sciences Research Grants for research on intractable diseases from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Shimane University School of Medicine, 89-1, Enya-cho, Izumo, Shimane, 693-8501, Japan

    Naoki Oshima, Shunji Ishihara, Nobuhiko Fukuba, Yoshiyuki Mishima, Kousaku Kawashima, Norihisa Ishimura & Yoshikazu Kinoshita

  2. Department of Pathology, Shimane University School of Medicine, Izumo, Japan

    Noriyoshi Ishikawa & Riruke Maruyama

Authors
  1. Naoki Oshima
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  2. Shunji Ishihara
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  3. Nobuhiko Fukuba
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  4. Yoshiyuki Mishima
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  5. Kousaku Kawashima
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  6. Norihisa Ishimura
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  7. Noriyoshi Ishikawa
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  8. Riruke Maruyama
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  9. Yoshikazu Kinoshita
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Naoki Oshima.

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Ethical Statement

The present study was performed at the Shimane University Hospital in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and the protocol was approved by the ethics committee of the Shimane University School of Medicine. Written informed consent was obtained from all subjects. This study was registered with the University Hospital Medical Information Network (UMIN) clinical trials registry (UMIN 000022242).

Conflicts of interest

Yoshikazu Kinoshita has received honoraria from AstraZeneca, Daiichi-Sankyo, EA Pharma, Otsuka, and Takeda Pharmaceutical.

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Oshima, N., Ishihara, S., Fukuba, N. et al. Epidermal differentiation complex protein involucrin is down-regulated in eosinophilic esophagitis. Esophagus 14, 171–177 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10388-016-0568-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10388-016-0568-y

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