Digestive Health Institute, The Children's Hospital, Denver, CO, USA.
J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2011 Jun;52(6):650-61. doi: 10.1097/MPG.0b013e3182128512.
Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are characterized by the invasion of leukocytes into the intestinal mucosa. However, a mixed inflammatory picture is observed that includes neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, and eosinophils. To this day, the role of eosinophils in health and in disease remains unclear. Investigations into their function stem primarily from allergic diseases, asthma, and parasitic infections. This makes it even more difficult to discern a role for the fascinating eosinophil in IBDs because, unlike the lung or the skin, eosinophils reside in normal intestinal mucosa and increase in disease states; consequently, an intricate system must regulate their migration and numbers. These granulocytes are equipped with the machinery to participate in gastrointestinal (GI) inflammation and in the susceptible microenvironment, they may initiate or perpetuate an inflammatory response. A significant body of literature characterizes eosinophils present in the GI microenvironment where they have the potential to interact with other resident cells, thus promoting intestinal remodeling, mucus production, epithelial barrier, cytokine production, angiogenesis, and neuropeptide release. A number of lines of evidence support both potential beneficial and deleterious roles of eosinophils in the gut. Although studies from the gut and other mucosal organs suggest eosinophils affect mucosal GI inflammation, definitive roles for eosinophils in IBDs await discovery.
炎症性肠病（IBD）的特征是白细胞浸润肠道黏膜。然而，观察到的是一种混合炎症表现，包括中性粒细胞、淋巴细胞、单核细胞和嗜酸性粒细胞。时至今日，嗜酸性粒细胞在健康和疾病中的作用仍不清楚。对其功能的研究主要源于过敏疾病、哮喘和寄生虫感染。这使得在 IBD 中确定嗜酸性粒细胞的作用更加困难，因为与肺部或皮肤不同，嗜酸性粒细胞存在于正常的肠道黏膜中，并在疾病状态下增加；因此，必须有一个复杂的系统来调节它们的迁移和数量。这些粒细胞配备了参与胃肠道（GI）炎症的机制，在易感的微环境中，它们可能引发或持续炎症反应。大量文献描述了存在于 GI 微环境中的嗜酸性粒细胞，它们有可能与其他常驻细胞相互作用，从而促进肠道重塑、黏液产生、上皮屏障、细胞因子产生、血管生成和神经肽释放。大量证据支持嗜酸性粒细胞在肠道中既有潜在的有益作用，也有潜在的有害作用。尽管来自肠道和其他黏膜器官的研究表明，嗜酸性粒细胞影响黏膜 GI 炎症，但嗜酸性粒细胞在 IBD 中的明确作用仍有待发现。
