Table 1.
Key Type 2 Cytokines and Chemokines and Their Role in EoE
| Inflammatory mediator | Proposed role in EoE | Citation |
|---|---|---|
| IL-4 | Differentiation of Th2 cells; secretion of eotaxin-3; B cell class switching to IgE; proliferation and activation of mast cells | Dunn 202031; Swain 199032; Cheng 201333; Moore 200234; McLeod 201535; Noti 201336 |
| IL-5 | Involved in eosinophil development, activation, survival, and recruitment; promotes tissue remodeling | Kouro 200937; Mishra 200838 |
| IL-13 | Promotes Th2 effector responses; involved in B cell class switching to IgE; eosinophil recruitment; mediates impaired epithelial architecture and barrier dysfunction | Cheng 201333; Muir 20199; Aceves 20105; Blanchard 200739; Ryu 202040 |
| IL-25 | Produced by epithelial cells in response to environmental trigger; activates ILC2s | Camelo 201741 |
| IL-33 | Produced by epithelial cells in response to environmental trigger; activates ILC2s | Camelo 201741 |
| Periostin | Promotion of eosinophil chemotaxis | Blanchard 200842 |
| Eotaxin-3/CCL26 | Eosinophil chemoattractant | Blanchard 201129 |
| TSLP | Produced by epithelial cells in response to environmental trigger; activates ILC2s; mediates basophil response | Camelo 201741 |
| Eosinophils | Present in esophageal mucosa in EoE; release of eosinophil-associated proteins, including IL-4, IL-13, IL-5, TGF-β, T NFα, and IL-1β amphiregulin and osteopontin; potentially contribute to fibrosis | Straumann 200543; Doyle 202044 |
| Mast cells | Release inflammatory mediators, including type 2 cytokines, TGF-β, histamines, and proteases; contribute to smooth muscle dysfunction | Aceves 20105; McLeod 201535; Ryu 202040 |
| Th2 cells | Produce of type 2 inflammatory cytokines IL-4, IL-5, IL-13 | Wen 201945; Cianferoni 201830 |
| Type 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) | Produce high levels of L-5 and IL-13; potential role in steroid resistance | Doherty 201526 |
CCL26, C-C motif chemokine ligand 26; EoE, eosinophilic esophagitis; Ig, immunoglobulin; IL, interleukin; TGF-β, transforming growth factor beta; Th2, T helper cell type 2; TSLP, thymic stromal lymphopoietin.