Methods for diagnosing and monitoring eosinophilic esophagitis
Disclosed are compositions and methods for diagnosing eosinophilic esophagitis in a subject. Also disclosed are methods for monitoring the course of eosinophilic esophagitis in a subject before, during, and after treatment. In another aspect, disclosed is a method of diagnosing eosinophilic esophagitis or eosinophilic diseases in a subject, comprising detecting an eosinophil granule protein in the mucosal tissue of the esophagus or other organs in a subject.
1. A method of producing a medical image of an esophagus of a subject, the method comprising:
orally administering radiolabeled heparin to the subject, wherein the radiolabeled heparin binds to one or more eosinophil granule proteins in the mucosal tissue of the esophagus; and
detecting the radiolabeled heparin to produce a medical image of the esophagus comprising one or more of a furrow, a ring, and a stricture along the esophagus.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the binding generates a radiolabeled heparin eosinophil granule protein complex and detecting the radiolabeled heparin comprises detecting the radiolabeled heparin eosinophil granule protein complex.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more eosinophil granule proteins comprise one or more of major basic protein 1 (MBP-1), major basic protein 2 (MBP-2), eosinophil derived neurotoxin (EDN), eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), and eosinophil peroxidase (EPO).
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the radiolabel is 99m Tc.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the radiolabeled heparin is orally administered during the detection of the radiolabeled heparin.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein a density of the radiolabeled heparin in the medical image is indicative of a degree of inflammation in the mucosal tissue.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the radiolabeled heparin comprises detecting by single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), positron emission tomography (PET), X-ray, conventional or computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or combinations thereof.
8. A method of detecting a structural narrowing along an esophagus of a subject, wherein the structural narrowing comprises one or more of a furrow, a ring and a stricture, the method comprising:
producing a first medical image according to the method of claim 1 ;
producing a second medical image according to the method of claim 1 ; and
comparing the second medical image with the first medical image, whereby detecting a change therebetween detects a structural narrowing along the esophagus of the subject.
9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising administering a suspected allergen to the subject prior to producing the second medical image, wherein the suspected allergen is selected from the group consisting of a food allergen and an aero-allergen.
10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising administering a treatment of eosinophilic esophagitis to the subject prior to producing the second medical image.
11. A method of producing a medical image of a gastrointestinal tract of a subject, the method comprising:
orally administering radiolabeled heparin to the subject, wherein the radiolabeled heparin binds to one or more eosinophil granule proteins in the mucosal tissue of the gastrointestinal tract; and
detecting the radiolabeled heparin to produce a medical image of the gastrointestinal tract comprising a structural narrowing along the gastrointestinal tract.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the structural narrowing comprises one or more of a furrow, a ring, and a stricture.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the binding generates a radiolabeled heparin eosinophil granule protein complex and detecting the radiolabeled heparin comprises detecting the radiolabeled heparin eosinophil granule protein complex.
14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the one or more eosinophil granule proteins comprise one or more of major basic protein 1 (MBP-1), major basic protein 2 (MBP-2), eosinophil derived neurotoxin (EDN), eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), and eosinophil peroxidase (EPO).
15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the radiolabel is 99m Tc.
16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the radiolabeled heparin is orally administered during the detection of the radiolabeled heparin.
17. The method of claim 11 , wherein a density of the radiolabeled heparin in the medical image is indicative of a degree of inflammation in the mucosal tissue.
18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the gastrointestinal tract includes the esophagus.
19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the gastrointestinal tract includes one or more of a stomach, a proximal large intestine, a distal large intestine, and a small intestine of the subject.
20. A method of diagnosing one or more of a furrow, a ring and a stricture in an esophagus of a subject, the method comprising:
orally administering radiolabeled heparin to the subject, wherein the radiolabeled heparin binds to one or more eosinophil granule proteins in the mucosal tissue of one or more of a furrow, a ring and a stricture in the esophagus; and
detecting the radiolabeled heparin in the mucosal tissue of one or more of a furrow, a ring and a stricture in the esophagus, whereby detecting the radiolabeled heparin in the mucosal tissue of one or more of a furrow, a ring and a stricture in the esophagus diagnoses one or more of a furrow, a ring and a stricture in the esophagus of the subject.
21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the binding generates a radiolabeled heparin eosinophil granule protein complex and detecting the radiolabeled heparin comprises detecting the radiolabeled heparin eosinophil granule protein complex.
22. The method of claim 20 , wherein the one or more eosinophil granule proteins comprise one or more of major basic protein 1 (MBP-1), major basic protein 2 (MBP-2), eosinophil derived neurotoxin (EDN), eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), and eosinophil peroxidase (EPO).
23. The method of claim 20 , wherein the radiolabel is 99m Tc.
24. The method of claim 20 , wherein the radiolabeled heparin is orally administered during the detection of the radiolabeled heparin.
25. The method of claim 20 , wherein detecting the radiolabeled heparin comprises detecting by single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), positron emission tomography (PET), X-ray, conventional or computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or combinations thereof.
26. The method of claim 20 , wherein the subject is a human.