Peripheral Blood Eosinophil Count Research Articles

Tissue eosinophil levels as a marker of disease severity in bullous pemphigoid

Eosinophils play an important role in bullous pemphigoid (BP) pathogenesis. Although tissue infiltration with eosinophils has been known for a long time, there is a lack of knowledge about the relationship between tissue eosinophil levels and disease severity and clinical characteristics of the patients. Fifty-nine patients diagnosed with BP between January 2008 and December 2018 were reviewed. Haematoxylin-Eosin (H&E)-stained preparations were re-evaluated in terms of tissue eosinophil levels. For disease severity, Bullous Pemphigoid Disease Area Index (BPDAI) was used. The relationship between tissue eosinophil levels and disease severity and clinical features were evaluated. Erosion/blister and urticaria/erythema BPDAI scores were higher in the group with high tissue eosinophil level than the group with low tissue eosinophil level. Tissue and peripheral blood eosinophil count were correlated with total urticaria/erythema BPDAI scores. There was no correlation between blood and tissue eosinophil count. The mortality rate was 64.7% vs 44.0% in the high vs low tissue eosinophil groups. Tissue eosinophil levels were high in patients with BP accompanying neurological disease. Tissue eosinophil count and peripheral blood eosinophil count were correlated with disease severity in BP. Tissue eosinophil levels were also high in patients with BP accompanying neurological disease.

Analysis of the misdiagnosis of 8 adult cases of paragonimiasis with lung masses as the main manifestation in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan

ObjectiveTo summarize the clinical characteristics of adult cases of paragonimiasis with lung masses as the main manifestation in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province, analyze the causes of misdiagnosis, and improve the levels of clinical diagnosis and treatment.MethodWe conducted a retrospective analysis of the clinical data and diagnosis and treatment of 8 adult cases of paragonimiasis with lung masses as the main manifestation that were diagnosed in the Oncology Department of People’s hospital of Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture from July 2014 to July 2019.ResultAll 8 patients were from epidemic paragonimiasis areas and had a confirmed history of consuming uncooked freshwater crabs. The clinical manifestations were mainly fever, dry cough, and chest pain. The disease durations were long, and peripheral blood eosinophil counts were elevated. The cases had been misdiagnosed as pneumonia or pulmonary tuberculosis. After years of anti-inflammatory or anti-tuberculosis treatment, the symptoms had not improved significantly. Patients eventually sought treatment from the oncology department for hemoptysis. Chest computed tomography showed patchy consolidation in the lungs, with nodules, lung masses, and enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes.ConclusionParagonimiasis is a food-borne parasitic disease. Early clinical manifestations and auxiliary examination results are nonspecific. The parasite most often invades the lungs, and the resulting disease is often misdiagnosed as pneumonia, pulmonary tuberculosis, or lung cancer (Acta Trop 199: 05074, 2019). To avoid misdiagnosis, clinicians should inquire, in detail, about residence history and history of unclean food and exposure to infected water and make an early diagnosis based on the inquired information and imaging examination results. For patients who have been diagnosed with pneumonia or pulmonary tuberculosis and whose symptoms do not improve significantly after anti-inflammatory or anti-tuberculosis treatments, their epidemiological history should be traced to further conduct differential diagnosis and avoid misdiagnosis.

A case of episodic angioedema with eosinophilia in an elderly woman with primary biliary cholangitis

We present the case of a 56-year-old woman diagnosed with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). She has continuously taken 600mg/day of ursodeoxycholic acid. Edema of the lower limbs manifested on July 20, 20XX; after 2weeks, she manifested rapid weight gain and nettle rash on the limbs and trunk. She was admitted to our hospital on August 22. She had marked eosinophilia, hypoalbuminemia, anemia, non-pitting lower limbs edema, and nettle rash of the limbs and the trunk. We ruled out other diseases that may have caused the edema and suspected her with episodic angioedema with eosinophilia (EAE). The peripheral blood eosinophil count rapidly decreased after the administration of 30mg prednisolone. The edema and nettle rash improved on the 7th day of admission, and the hypoalbuminemia and anemia improved on the 14th day. Prednisolone was tapered and discontinued, and there was no relapse of edema. We revised our diagnosis to non-recurrent EAE. She was diagnosed with asymptomatic PBC; therefore, anemia and hypoalbuminemia were considered not PBC but chronic inflammation and decrease in appetite. In this case, elevation of serum IgG4 was observed at onset and at remission. This suggests that IgG4 may be involved in the development of EAE in patients with chronic liver disease.

Prognostic impact of eosinophils in peripheral blood and tumor site in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy

To date, no effective biological markers have been identified for predicting the prognosis of esophageal cancer patients. Recent studies have shown that eosinophils are independent prognostic factors in some cancers. This study aimed to identify the prognostic impact of eosinophils in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT).This study enrolled 136 patients who received CCRT for locally advanced unresectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). We evaluated the survival time and clinical pathological characteristics of eosinophils. The Kaplan–Meier method was used to estimate survival data. The log-rank test was used for univariate analysis and the Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to conduct a multivariate analysis.Kaplan–Meier analysis revealed that high eosinophil infiltration correlated with better overall survival (OS) (P = .008) and better progression-free survival (PFS) (P = .015). The increase in absolute eosinophil count after CCRT also enhanced OS (P = .005) and PFS (P = .007). The PFS and OS in patients with high blood eosinophil count before CCRT (>2%) was better than those with low blood eosinophil count(<2%) (P = .006 and P = .001, respectively). Additionally, the multivariate analysis revealed that disease stage and high eosinophil infiltration, increased peripheral blood absolute eosinophil count after CCRT, and high peripheral blood eosinophil count before CCRT were independent prognostic indicators.High eosinophil count of tumor site, increased peripheral blood absolute eosinophil count after CCRT, and high peripheral blood eosinophil count before CCRT are favorable prognostic factors for patients with ESCC treated with CCRT.

Variability of blood eosinophil count and prognosis of COPD exacerbations

Background Eosinophils in peripheral blood are one of the emerging biomarkers in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. However, when analysing the relationship between peripheral eosinophilia and COPD prognosis, highly variable results are obtained. The aim of our study is to describe the serum eosinophilia levels in COPD patients and to analyse their relationship to prognosis following hospital admission. Methods A prospective observational study was conducted from 1 October 2016 to 1 October 2018 in the following Spanish centres: Salnés County Hospital in Vilagarcía de Arousa, Arquitecto Marcide Hospital in Ferrol and the University Hospital Complex in Santiago de Compostela. The patients were classified using three cut-off points of blood eosinophil count (BEC): 150 cells/µL, 300 cells/µL, and 400 cells/µL; in addition, the peripheral BEC was analysed on admission. Results 615 patients were included in the study, 86.2% male, mean age 73.9 years, and mean FEV1 52.7%. The mean stay was 8.4 days, and 6% of all patients were readmitted early. No significant relationship was observed between the BEC, neither in the stable phase nor in the acute phase, and hospital stay, readmissions, deaths during admission, the need for intensive care, or the condition of frequent exacerbator. Conclusion The results of our study do not seem to support the usefulness of BEC as a COPD biomarker. KEY MESSAGES There is evidence that BEC participates in pathophysiological mechanisms of the COPD. BEC may be useful as a biomarker in COPD for aspects such as the optimization of treatments. We did not find any relationship between BEC levels and prognosis following hospital admission for AECOPD.

Fulminant eosinophilic myocarditis treated with steroids and mechanical unloading: a case report.

BackgroundEosinophilic myocarditis is a rare form of myocardial inflammatory disease. Eosinophilic infiltration of the myocardium is often the consequence of a systemic disorder but can remain unexplained in up to a third of patients. The disease course can range from mild to fulminant myocarditis and mortality remains high for fulminant cases.Case summaryA 42-year-old male was admitted for cardiogenic shock. He presented in another hospital with fever, low blood pressure, diffuse electrocardiogram-abnormalities, and elevated troponin T (4.5 µg/L; reference <0.013 µg/L) levels. Coronary angiography was unremarkable. Mechanical circulatory support with the ImpellaTM CP device was initiated. Since fulminant myocarditis was suspected and magnetic resonance imaging was not feasible in urgency, an endomyocardial biopsy was performed. He transiently developed right ventricular failure after ImpellaTM implantation, requiring the re-institution of an inotropic agent. Biopsy showed eosinophilic myocarditis, even though there was no increase in the peripheral blood eosinophil count. Methylprednisone and Ramipril were initiated to which he responded well. No systemic disease or parasitic infection was found during further work-up. Left ventricular ejection fraction rapidly improved and was completely normalized at discharge.DiscussionThis case demonstrates the usefulness of myocardial biopsy in fulminant myocarditis since the only histopathology guided us towards the diagnosis of eosinophilic myocarditis. Treatment with methylprednisone and an angiotensin-converting enzyme-inhibitor resulted in rapid improvement. Awake mechanical circulatory support with the ImpellaTM device proved feasible and might have helped by unloading the left ventricle, as was reflected in an immediate decrease in troponin levels, even before methylprednisone initiation.

Development of a scoring system to predict outcomes of i.v. corticosteroid pulse therapy in rapidly progressive alopecia areata adopting digital image analysis of hair recovery.

Alopecia areata (AA) is a common autoimmune disease manifesting varying degrees of hair loss. Rapidly progressive AA (RP-AA) is a severe subtype of AA and often resistant to skin-directed treatments. i.v. corticosteroid pulse therapy has been applied for RP-AA; however, the treatment outcome can only become evaluable several months after the intervention, discomposing the patients. In this study, we attempted to develop a scoring system to predict treatment outcomes based on statistical correlations between newly identified predictors and the recovery rates calculated by digital image analysis. Thirty RP-AA patients (15 men and 15 women) who underwent pulse therapy and demonstrated total hair loss during the clinical course were included. The percentages of hair regrowth (%HR) at 6months after the treatment were quantitatively calculated by image analysis software. The correlation between %HR and clinicopathological and immunological variables were statistically assessed. The analysis identified four confirmatory contributors including female sex (P=0.015), absence of previous AA history (P=0.02), lower peripheral blood eosinophil count (P=0.02) and mild to moderate cell infiltration around the hair bulb (P=0.034), together with a potential contributor, namely absence of atopic dermatitis in their medical history (P=0.08). The scoring system was developed by double counting confirmatory variables and single counting a potential variable. Importantly, the scores obtained by this system demonstrated significant correlation with %HR (r=0.61, P<0.001). The usefulness of this scoring system was further validated by assessing additional 20 cases of RP-AA. When combined with a recently published algorithm for early detection of self-healing subset, the current scoring system may help strategize the therapeutic approach for RP-AA.

Eosinophilic peritonitis in children on chronic peritoneal dialysis.

Eosinophilic peritonitis (EP) is sometimes difficult to distinguish from bacterial peritonitis (BP) at onset, as they are often overlapping. Previous reports show EP occurs more frequently in infants, although the reason is unknown. The study population was 77 pediatric patients receiving chronic peritoneal dialysis (PD) in our center. We compared clinical and laboratory data at onset of EP with those of BP. We also investigated age distribution at onset of EP and PD-related surgery. Eleven patients developed EP (18 episodes) and 19 patients developed BP (38 episodes). EP patients showed lower rate of cloudy dialysate (44.4% vs. 74.4%; p = 0.04), lower rate of fever (38.9% vs. 56.4%), lower frequency of abdominal pain (16.7% vs. 38.5%), higher peripheral blood eosinophil counts (/μL) (514 vs. 160; p < 0.001), and lower serum C-reactive protein level (mg/dL) (0.4 vs. 4.7; p < 0.001) than BP patients. Thirteen EP events were observed after 169 surgical interventions. Age at surgery-related EP was similar to age at surgery without EP (2.6 vs. 2.1; p = 0.65). There was no significant difference in postoperative EP occurrence between groups <2 years and ≥ 2 years (6.2% vs. 9.1%; p = 0.48). However, infants received more operations than older children. Clinical symptoms in children and laboratory data of EP in children were less severe than those of BP. As incidence of postoperative EP did not differ by age, we speculate that higher incidence of EP in infants might be associated with higher incidence of surgery, although further validation is necessary.

Dupilumab treatment ameliorates clinical and hematological symptoms, including blood eosinophilia, in patients with atopic dermatitis.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is an allergic disease that affects individuals of various ages. Recently, the IL-4/13 inhibitor dupilumab has gained regulatory approval for clinical use in AD patients. Dupilumab has been reported to reduce several markers of AD, including the serum levels of thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC/CCL17), blood lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and serum total immunoglobulin E (IgE). We retrospectively reviewed data from 40 AD patients who were treated with dupilumab. Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI), Investigator's Global Assessment (IGA), body surface area (BSA) scores, TARC, LDH, total IgE, and eosinophil count in peripheral blood were assessed for a total of 32weeks. The EASI, IGA, and BSA scores improved significantly with treatment, indicating a reduction in AD severity. Serum TARC and LDH levels also significantly decreased with treatment. Serum IgE levels were unchanged at 2weeks of treatment but decreased significantly between 4 and 32weeks. The number of eosinophils in the peripheral blood decreased at 4, 16, and 32weeks after treatment initiation. Several studies have reported that serum TARC, LDH, and total IgE levels are reduced by dupilumab treatment. Our real-world data are the first to demonstrate a reduction in blood eosinophilia in patients who receive clinical treatment with dupilumab.

Effectiveness of fevipiprant in reducing exacerbations in patients with severe asthma (LUSTER-1 and LUSTER-2): two phase 3 randomised controlled trials

Fevipiprant, an oral antagonist of the prostaglandin D2 receptor 2, reduced sputum eosinophils and improved lung function in phase 2 trials of patients with asthma. We aimed to investigate whether fevipiprant reduces asthma exacerbations in patients with severe asthma. LUSTER-1 and LUSTER-2 were two phase 3 randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, replicate 52-week studies; LUSTER-1 took place at 174 clinical sites in 25 countries and LUSTER 2 took place at 169 clinical sites in 19 countries. Fevipiprant or placebo was added to Global Initiative for Asthma Steps 4 and 5 therapy in adolescents and adults with severe asthma. Patients aged 12 years or older with uncontrolled asthma on dual or triple asthma therapy were randomly assigned by use of interactive response technology to one of three treatment groups (once-daily fevipiprant 150 mg, fevipiprant 450 mg, or placebo) in a 1:1:1 ratio within each of the randomisation strata: peripheral blood eosinophil counts (<250 cells per μL or ≥250 cells per μL), patient age (<18 years or ≥18 years), and use or non-use of oral corticosteroids as part of their standard of care asthma therapy. The primary efficacy endpoint was the annualised rate of moderate to severe asthma exacerbations with 150 mg or 450 mg doses of fevipiprant once daily compared with placebo over 52 weeks, in patients with high blood eosinophil counts (≥250 cells per μL) and in the overall study population. All patients who underwent randomisation and received at least one dose of study medication were included in efficacy and safety analyses. These trials are registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02555683 (LUSTER-1) and NCT02563067 (LUSTER-2), and are complete and no longer recruiting. Between Dec 11, 2015, and Oct 25, 2018, 894 patients were randomly assigned to fevipiprant 150 mg (n=301), fevipiprant 450 mg (n=295), or placebo (n=298) in LUSTER-1. Between Dec 3, 2015, and July 10, 2018, 877 patients were randomly assigned to fevipiprant 150 mg (n=296), fevipiprant 450 mg (n=294), or placebo (n=287) in LUSTER-2. In the high eosinophil population, in LUSTER-1 the annualised rate ratio of moderate to severe exacerbations compared with placebo was 1·04 (95% CI 0·77-1·41) for fevipiprant 150 mg and 0·83 (0·61-1·14) for fevipiprant 450 mg, and in LUSTER-2 it was 0·69 (0·50-0·96) for fevipiprant 150 mg and 0·72 (0·52-1·01) for fevipiprant 450 mg. In the overall population, in LUSTER-1 the annualised rate ratio of moderate to severe exacerbations compared with placebo was 0·96 (95% CI 0·75-1·22) for fevipiprant 150 mg and 0·78 (0·61-1·01) for fevipiprant 450 mg and in LUSTER-2 it was 0·82 (0·62-1·07) for fevipiprant 150 mg and 0·76 (0·58-1·00) for fevipiprant 450 mg. In the overall pooled population of both studies, serious adverse events occurred in 53 (9%) patients in the fevipiprant 150 mg group, 50 (9%) in the fevipiprant 450 mg group, and 50 (9%) in the placebo group. Adverse events leading to death occurred in two (<1%) patients in the fevipiprant 450 mg group and three (<1%) in the placebo group. Although neither trial showed a statistically significant reduction in asthma exacerbations after adjusting for multiple testing, consistent and modest reductions in exacerbations rates were observed in both studies with the 450 mg dose of fevipiprant. Novartis.

Effectiveness of mepolizumab therapy in patients with severe eosinophilic asthma: Austrian real-life data

BackgroundMepolizumab was effective in several randomized clinical trials (RCTs) in patients with severe eosinophilic asthma, but evidence for symptom control in a real-world population is scarce. ObjectiveTo assess asthma symptom control, lung function, use of oral corticosteroids, and biomarkers after mepolizumab initiation in real-world clinical practice. MethodsThirty-five adult patients with severe eosinophilic asthma and inadequate asthma symptom control, including former smokers and patients with cardiac disease, were enrolled in a prospective single-arm real-world study. Asthma control tests (ACT), exacerbations, spirometry (pre-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 s [FEV1]), and oral corticosteroid doses were documented. Further assessments included peripheral blood eosinophil counts and adverse events. ResultsAfter mepolizumab initiation asthma symptom control was significantly improved with the median ACT score of 12.5 at baseline (interquartile range [IQR ]10.5–19.5) rising to 19 (15–22.5) after 4 weeks. The improvement was maintained throughout the observation period of 20 weeks. Likewise, exacerbations were reduced. After 8 weeks of mepolizumab daily OCS doses were reduced from 6.25 mg daily (0–20) at baseline to 2.5 mg daily (0–11.9) at week 8 (P < 0.001). FEV1 remained generally unchanged during the course of the study. Eosinophil counts rapidly declined and remained at a low level during the observation period. No new safety signals were observed in this study. ConclusionMepolizumab improved asthma symptom control and had a steroid-sparing effect. Efficacy in this real-world study was comparable to RCTs, despite a history of smoking and comorbidities in many of the patients included.

Association of baseline peripheral-blood eosinophil count with immune checkpoint inhibitor-related pneumonitis and clinical outcomes in patients with non-small cell lung cancer receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors

ObjectivesImmune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized the oncologic treatment landscape, but have been accompanied by immune-related adverse events (irAEs). ICI-related pneumonitis (ICI-pneumonitis) is a potentially fatal irAE. However, the risk factors associated with ICI-pneumonitis remain unclear. There is an urgent need to identify risk factors for ICI-pneumonitis using reliable and accessible parameters. Here, we aimed to identify baseline peripheral-blood biomarkers correlated with ICI-pneumonitis and clinical outcomes in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who were treated with ICIs. Materials and MethodsWe conducted a retrospective analysis of eligible patients with advanced NSCLC who were treated with ICIs at our center. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to determine the optimal cutoff value for analyzing risk of ICI-pneumonitis. Multivariate logistic analysis was performed to identify risk factors of ICI-pneumonitis. Clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes were collected and compared according to the optimal cutoff value. ResultsA total of 300 patients were included, in which 54 patients (18 %) experienced ICI-pneumonitis. Patients with ICI-pneumonitis had a high level of baseline peripheral-blood absolute eosinophil count (AEC) than those without ICI-pneumonitis (P = 0.013). The optimal threshold of baseline peripheral-blood AEC to predict ICI-pneumonitis was 0.125 × 109 cells/L. The incidence of ICI-pneumonitis was higher in the high-AEC group (AEC ≥ 0.125 × 109 cells/L; 27.7 %) than in the low-AEC group (AEC < 0.125 × 109 cells/L; 9.8 %, P < 0.001). Moreover, patients with high AEC (compared with those with low AEC) had a higher objective response rate (ORR) (40.9 % versus 28.8 %, P = 0.029) and longer median progression-free survival (PFS) (8.93 months versus 5.87 months, P = 0.038). ConclusionsAmong patients treated with ICIs, a baseline feature of high AEC (≥0.125 × 109 cells/L) was associated with an increasing risk of ICI-pneumonitis, and with a better clinical outcome.

Efficacy of benralizumab for patients with severe eosinophilic asthma: a retrospective, real-life study

BackgroundBenralizumab, an anti-interleukin-5 (IL-5) receptor α monoclonal antibody, significantly reduces the number of annual exacerbations and oral corticosteroid (OCS) maintenance doses for patients with severe eosinophilic asthma (SEA). However, few studies on the efficacy of this biologic in real life are available. The aim was to elucidate the efficacy of benralizumab by evaluating changes in clinical parameters after benralizumab treatment in patients with SEA.MethodsFrom July 2018 to December 2019, 24 Japanese patients with SEA received benralizumab at Jikei University Hospital. We retrospectively evaluated the patients’ characteristics, parameters, numbers of exacerbations and maintenance OCS doses.ResultsAmong the 24 patients, eleven patients had received mepolizumab treatment and were directly switched to benralizumab. The peripheral blood eosinophil and basophil counts significantly decreased after benralizumab treatment regardless of previous mepolizumab treatment. Pulmonary function, Asthma Control Test scores, the numbers of annual exacerbations and maintenance OCS doses in patients without previous mepolizumab treatment tended to improve without significant differences. Fourteen patients (58%) were responders according to the Global Evaluation of Treatment Effectiveness (GETE) score. The proportion of GETE responders among patients with aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD) tended to be lower than that among patients without AERD (p = 0.085). After benralizumab treatment, the change in the forced expiratory volume in 1 s from baseline was 200 ml or greater in eight patients (33%), including three patients who were switched from mepolizumab.ConclusionBenralizumab treatment improved and controlled asthma symptoms based on the GETE score.

Predictive Value of Exhaled Nitric Oxide and Blood Eosinophil Count in the Assessment of Airway Eosinophilia in COPD.

PurposeFractional exhaled nitric oxide (FENO50) level and peripheral blood eosinophil count may serve as indicators of airway eosinophilia. The aim of this study was to estimate the diagnostic value of these markers for detecting airway eosinophilia in patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and those experiencing an acute exacerbation (AECOPD).Patients and MethodsFENO50 levels, sputum and blood eosinophil counts were assessed in 53 clinically stable ex-smoker COPD patients and 67 ex-smoker COPD patients experiencing a severe exacerbation. In AECOPD, clinical variables were measured at the time of hospital admission and discharge following treatment.ResultsIn stable COPD, blood eosinophil count but not FENO50 level was found to be a good predictor of airway eosinophilia (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [ROC AUC]: ≥0.82). The sensitivity and the specificity of the test ranged between 75% and 98%, the negative predictive value (NPV) was high (>90%). In AECOPD, FENO50 was predictive for airway eosinophilia (ROC AUC: >0.8) with high NPV (>88%), but with lower sensitivity and specificity (64–70%). In contrast, the predictive accuracy of blood eosinophil count for airway eosinophilia in AECOPD was modest (ROC AUC: 0.54–0.63). The combined use of the two markers provided only limited additional benefit. Correlation analyses supported ROC curve findings.ConclusionIn stable COPD the peripheral blood eosinophil count, while in AECOPD the FENO50 level is a good surrogate marker of airway eosinophilia.

Prediction of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer recurrence during intravesical BCG immunotherapy by use of peripheral blood eosinophil count and percentage: a preliminary report.

To determine whether there is an association between blood eosinophil count and percentage with the recurrence of nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) during Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) maintenance therapy with our preliminary results. A total of 53 patients with NMIBC underwent BCG immunotherapy between January 2015 and September 2018, and met our inclusion criteria were included in the study. The parameters age, gender, smoking status, comorbidity, blood neutrophil, lymphocyte and eosinophil counts, blood eosinophil percentage, previous single postoperative intravesical chemotherapy instillation, tumor characteristic, and total and maintenance dose numbers of BCG were extracted from our medical records and compared between patients with response and with recurrence. Blood eosinophil count and percentage were significantly higher in patients with recurrence compared to patients with response (0.263 ± 0.37 vs. 0.0134 ± 0.021, p = 0.01 and 0.31 ± 0.29 vs. 0.17 ± 0.27, p = 0.01). Other parameters were similar in patients with recurrence and response. Receiver-operating characteristic analysis showed a considerable diagnostic value of blood eosinophil count and percentage in the prediction of bladder cancer recurrence during BCG immunotherapy. Blood eosinophil count and percentage in patients with NMIBC can predict the disease recurrence during the BCG immunotherapy. Our research raised new questions and assumptions about the role of eosinophils during BCG immunotherapy.

The role of peripheral blood eosinophil counts in COVID-19 patients.

BackgroundCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) emerged in Wuhan city and rapidly spread globally outside China. We aimed to investigate the role of peripheral blood eosinophil (EOS) as a marker in the course of the virus infection to improve the efficiency of diagnosis and evaluation of COVID‐19 patients.Methods227 pneumonia patients who visited the fever clinics in Shanghai General Hospital and 97 hospitalized COVID‐19 patients admitted to Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center were involved in a retrospective research study. Clinical, laboratory, and radiologic data were collected. The trend of EOS level in COVID‐19 patients and comparison among patients with different severity were summarized.ResultsThe majority of COVID‐19 patients (71.7%) had a decrease in circulating EOS counts, which was significantly more frequent than other types of pneumonia patients. EOS counts had good value for COVID‐19 prediction, even higher when combined with neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio. Patients with low EOS counts at admission were more likely to have fever, fatigue, and shortness of breath, with more lesions in chest CT and radiographic aggravation, and longer length of hospital stay and course of disease than those with normal EOS counts. Circulating EOS level gradually increased over the time, and was synchronous with the improvement in chest CT (12 days vs 13 days, P = .07), later than that of body temperature (12 days vs 10 days, P = .014), but earlier than that of the negative conversion of nucleic acid assays (12 days vs 17 days, P = .001).ConclusionPeripheral blood EOS counts may be an effective and efficient indicator in diagnosis, Evaluation, and prognosis monitoring of COVID‐19 patients.

"SHAO's five-needle method" as the main treatment for allergic rhinitis and asthma syndrome: a multi-center randomized controlled trial

To compare the clinical effect differences between "SHAO's five-needle method" and routine acupoint selection on allergic rhinitis and asthma syndrome. A total of 210 patients with allergic rhinitis and asthma syndrome were randomly divided into an observation group (105 cases, 4 cases dropped off) and a control group (105 cases, 4 cases dropped off). The patients in the observation group were treated with "SHAO's five-needling method", and the acupoints of Feishu (BL 13), Dazhui (GV 14), Fengmen (BL 12), Yintang (GV 29), Shangyingxiang (EX-HN 8) and Hegu (LI 4), etc. were selected; the patients in the control group was treated with routine acupuncture, and the acupoints of Feishu (BL 13), Zhongfu (LU 1), Taiyuan (LU 9), Dingchuan (EX-B 1), Danzhong (CV 17), Yintang (GV 29), Fengmen (BL 12) and Zusanli (ST 36), etc. were selected. The treatment in the two groups was given once a day, 6 times a week, for 4 weeks. The score of symptoms and signs was observed before and after treatment as well as 1 month, 2 months and 3 months after treatment. The forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), peak expiratory flow (PEF) and eosinophils in peripheral blood were measured before and after treatment in the two groups. After treatment, the clinical therapeutic effect was compared between the two groups. The total effective rate was 98.0% (99/101) in the observation group, which was superior to 94.1% (95/101) in the control group (P<0.01). Compared before treatment, the total score of symptoms and signs in the two groups was significantly decreased at 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks of treatment (P<0.01); after treatment and at each time point of follow-up, the total score of symptoms and signs in the observation group was lower than that in the control group (P<0.01). Compared with 4 weeks of treatment, the total score of symptoms and signs at each time point of follow-up was not statistically different in the observation group (P>0.05), and the total score of symptoms and signs in the third month of follow-up in the control group was significantly increased (P<0.05). After treatment, FEV1 and PEF in the two groups were increased (P<0.01), eosinophil count in peripheral blood was decreased (P<0.01), and the improvement in the observation group was greater than that in the control group (P<0.01, P<0.05). "SHAO's five-needle method" can improve the clinical symptoms and pulmonary function, reduce the count of eosinophils in peripheral blood in patients with allergic rhinitis and asthma syndrome, and the curative effect is better than routine acupuncture.

Diagnostic markers of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis in patients with severe asthma.

Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) is a lung disease in patients with asthma or cystic fibrosis (CF) caused by chronic allergic inflammation to Aspergillus spp. antigens. The role of different immunological mediators in the formation of chronic allergic inflammation in patients with ABPA is not sufficiently explored. This study aimed to investigate serum levels of thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), thymus and activated chemokine (TARC) as well as IL-8 in patients with ABPA, and to evaluate their diagnostic and monitoring value in the disease. Prospective study included 21 patients with ABPA, 25 patients with severe asthma with fungal sensitisation (SAFS), 37 patients with severe asthma without fungal sensitisation (SAwFS), and 16 healthy people. In patients with ABPA, the serum levels of biomarkers were determined at baseline and after 12weeks of itraconazole therapy. Serum levels of total IgE, Aspergillus-fumigatus-specific IgE, TSLP, TARC, IL-8 were analysed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In patients with ABPA we established significantly higher serum levels of TARC, IL-8, total IgE, Aspergillus-fumigatus-specific IgE and peripheral blood eosinophil counts, compared to patients with SAwFS. There were no differences in TSLP levels between the examined groups of patients. Serum TARC levels were positively correlated to serum total IgE levels, Afumigatus-specific IgE levels and peripheral blood eosinophil counts and also negatively correlated to lung function (FEV1 ). Longitudinally, serum levels TARC, total IgE and peripheral blood eosinophil counts significant decreased after treatment of ABPA. Thymus and activated chemokine is a useful test in diagnosing and monitoring response to the antifungal treatment of patients with ABPA.

Multifaceted Analyses of Epidermal Serine Protease Activity in Patients with Atopic Dermatitis.

The serine proteases kallikrein-related peptidase (KLK) 5 and KLK7 cleave cell adhesion molecules in the epidermis. Aberrant epidermal serine protease activity is thought to play an important role in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis (AD). We collected the stratum corneum (SC) from healthy individuals (n = 46) and AD patients (n = 63) by tape stripping and then measuring the trypsin- and chymotrypsin-like serine protease activity. We also analyzed the p.D386N and p.E420K of SPINK5 variants and loss-of-function mutations of FLG in the AD patients. The serine protease activity in the SC was increased not only in AD lesions but also in non-lesions of AD patients. We found, generally, that there was a positive correlation between the serine protease activity in the SC and the total serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels, serum thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC) levels, and peripheral blood eosinophil counts. Moreover, the p.D386N or p.E420K in SPINK5 and FLG mutations were not significantly associated with the SC’s serine protease activity. Epidermal serine protease activity was increased even in non-lesions of AD patients. Such activity was found to correlate with a number of biomarkers of AD. Further investigations of serine proteases might provide new treatments and prophylaxis for AD.

Correlations of induced sputum eosinophils with blood allergic markers in pediatric asthma and eosinophilic bronchitis

Purpose: Induced sputum eosinophil count is useful for the evaluation and diagnosis of asthma and eosinophilic bronchitis (EB). The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation of induced sputum eosinophil count with various allergic indicators, including the peripheral blood eosinophil count, in pediatric asthma and EB. Methods: From May 2014 to July 2018, 126 children visited Kyungpook National University Children’s Hospital, and underwent methacholine bronchial challenge test and sputum induction. Peripheral blood eosinophil counts, serum eosinophil cationic pro tein (ECP), serum total IgE, immunoCAP for inhalant allergens, and skin prick test were performed in the study subjects. Results: In the asthma group, the eosinophil count of induced sputum correlated with peripheral blood eosinophils (r=0.279, P=0.043). The concordance rates of sputum and peripheral blood eosinophil count in the asthma and EB groups were 64.1% and 25.7%, re spectively. The number of eosinophils in the sputum also correlated with serum total IgE, ECP, and specific IgE to Dermatophagoides farinae, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, and Aspergillus in the asthma group. Conclusion: The number of eosinophils in the induced sputum correlated with peripheral blood in the asthma group. However, a third of subjects were discordant. Therefore, we need to keep in mind the possibility of discordance when predicting the degree of airway eosinophilic inflammation using the peripheral blood eosinophils. In EB, the number of induced sputum eosinophils did not correlate with the number of peripheral blood eosinophils, which may be attributed to the difference in mechanism. Further studies are warranted. (Allergy Asthma Respir Dis 2020;8:220-226)