Tajima K, Yamakawa M, Inaba Y, Katagiri T, Sasaki H
Third Department of Internal Medicine, Yamagata University School of Medicine, Japan.
Hum Pathol. 1998 Sep;29(9):1024-8. doi: 10.1016/s0046-8177(98)90212-x.
Eosinophilia often occurs in malignant diseases. This report concerns a female patient aged 76 years, diagnosed with rectal carcinoma with eosinophilia. Sera were obtained at two different periods (at diagnosis and after the operation) for the evaluation of levels of interleukin-5 (IL-5). The serum IL-5 level increased to 264 pg/mL, and returned to an undetectable level after the operation. The serum at diagnosis enhanced the viability of normal eosinophils in vitro, and this activity was inhibited by antihuman IL-5 polyclonal antibody. Immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization revealed that stromal eosinophils contained IL-5 protein and messenger RNA (mRNA), but no IL-5 transcripts were detected in eosinophils attached to carcinoma cells. In situ detection of apoptosis showed that several eosinophils attached to tumor cells underwent apoptosis and lost their eosinophil secreted cationic protein (ECP) and major basic protein (MBP). These results may suggest that activated eosinophils by IL-5 play an important role in host defense mechanisms, releasing their toxic granule proteins on adjoining tumor cells.
嗜酸性粒细胞增多常见于恶性疾病。本报告涉及一名76岁女性患者，诊断为伴有嗜酸性粒细胞增多的直肠癌。在两个不同时期（诊断时和术后）采集血清，以评估白细胞介素-5（IL-5）水平。血清IL-5水平升至264 pg/mL，术后恢复至检测不到的水平。诊断时的血清在体外增强了正常嗜酸性粒细胞的活力，且这种活性被抗人IL-5多克隆抗体抑制。免疫组织化学和原位杂交显示，基质嗜酸性粒细胞含有IL-5蛋白和信使核糖核酸（mRNA），但在附着于癌细胞的嗜酸性粒细胞中未检测到IL-5转录本。凋亡的原位检测显示，一些附着于肿瘤细胞的嗜酸性粒细胞发生凋亡，并失去其分泌的嗜酸性粒细胞阳离子蛋白（ECP）和主要碱性蛋白（MBP）。这些结果可能表明，IL-5激活的嗜酸性粒细胞在宿主防御机制中发挥重要作用，在相邻肿瘤细胞上释放其有毒颗粒蛋白。
