The following is a summary of “Increased TIM-3 and galectin-9 serum levels in patients with advanced systemic mastocytosis,” published in the October 2023 issue of Allergy & Immunology by Konantz, et al.

Systemic mastocytosis is characterized by the excessive proliferation of clonal mast cells in various body tissues. Recent research has identified potential diagnostic and therapeutic biomarkers in mastocytosis, including the serum marker tryptase and the immune checkpoint molecule PD-L1. For a study, researchers sought to investigate whether levels of other checkpoint molecules in the serum are altered in systemic mastocytosis and whether these molecules are expressed in mastocytosis infiltrates in the bone marrow.

They analyzed the levels of different checkpoint molecules in the serum of patients with various categories of systemic mastocytosis, comparing them to healthy controls and correlating these levels with disease severity. Bone marrow biopsies from systemic mastocytosis patients were stained to confirm the expression of these molecules.

The study found that serum levels of TIM-3 and galectin-9 were increased in systemic mastocytosis, particularly in advanced subtypes, compared to healthy controls. These elevated levels were also correlated with other biomarkers of systemic mastocytosis, such as serum tryptase and the KIT D816V variant allele frequency in peripheral blood. Furthermore, the study identified the expression of TIM-3 and galectin-9 in mastocytosis infiltrates within the bone marrow.

The study revealed that serum levels of TIM-3 and galectin-9 are elevated in advanced systemic mastocytosis, which has implications for potential use as diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets in the disease, particularly in its advanced forms. The research offered valuable insights into the potential diagnostic and treatment options for systemic mastocytosis.

Source: jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749(23)00860-6/fulltext