چکیده (انگلیسی):

Background: The prevalence rate of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) between Japan and Western countries
is quite different. Although multiple factors, including the genetic background, lifestyle and dietary
habits, may account for the difference, the pathogenic mechanism of EoE has not been fully clarified in
Japanese. To elucidate whether EoE's pathogenic mechanisms differ between those populations, we
performed transcriptome analysis of esophageal biopsy specimens from Japanese EoE patients and
compared the identified gene signatures with published microarray data for EoE patients in the US.
Methods: We prospectively enrolled adult Japanese EoE patients (n ¼ 4) according to the 2011 consensus
guidelines for diagnosis of EoE. Age-matched healthy volunteer subjects (n ¼ 4) were also enrolled as
controls. We assessed the gene expression profiles of esophageal biopsies using microarray technology
and then compared the identified gene signatures with earlier data generated in the US.
Results: Of 42,545 transcripts represented on the microarray, 385 were differentially expressed between
the EoE and control samples (2 fold change and adjusted p-value of <0.05). Our microarray data
showed strong overlapping with the data from US patients with EoE. An EoE-specific-transcript signature
is typically composed of IL-13-inducible and eosinophil-related genes, including eotaxin-3/CeC chemokine
ligand 26 (CCL26).
Conclusions: This transcriptome study suggests that the pathogenetic mechanisms of EoE in Japan and
Western countries are similar. Our findings may contribute to a better understanding of the pathogenesis
of EoE and to more accurate diagnosis of this disease in Japanese individuals.