Functional role of kallikrein 5 and proteinase-activated receptor 2 in eosinophilic esophagitis
Nurit P. Azouz, Andrea M. Klingler, Purnima Pathre, John A. Besse, Netali Ben-Baruch Morgenstern, Adina Ballaban, G. A. Osswald, Michael Brusilovsky, Jeff E. Habel, Julie M. Caldwell, Mario Alberto Ynga-Durand, J. Pablo Abonia, Yueh‐Chiang Hu, Ting Wen, Marc E. Rothenberg
Abstract
in epithelial cells and attenuated the allergen-induced esophageal eosinophilia in vivo. Clinical samples substantiated dysregulated PAR2 expression in the esophagus of patients with EoE, and delivery of the clinically approved drug α1 antitrypsin (A1AT, a protease inhibitor) inhibited experimental EoE. These findings demonstrate a role for the balance between KLK5 and protease inhibitors in the esophagus and highlight EoE as a protease-mediated disease. We suggest that antagonizing KLK5 and/or PAR2 has potential to be therapeutic for EoE.