Is Dupuytren’s an autoimmune or an allergic condition? In some fibrotic diseases, such as endomyocardial fibrosis, tissues show activity of eosinphils. Eosinophils are normally found in small numbers in the bloodstream. They are part of the immune system and are abnormally involved in some medical conditions such as asthma. Eosinophils are filled with little bags of chemicals, called granules, and in a prepared slide under the microscope, the granules stand out as beautiful little red jewels. Their pretty appearance is deceiving: some granules are filled with toxic compounds which are released to kill invading organisms. These toxins can also kill normal cells and cause scarring and fibrosis. Researchers analyzed tissue specimens for a possible link between eosinophils and fibrosis in several conditions, including Dupuytren’s, and reported their findings in “Tissue Eosinophilia and Eosinophil Degranulation in Syndromes Associated with Fibrosis” (full text: https://dupuytrens.org/DupPDFs/1992_Noguchi_1104.pdf). They found strong evidence for eosinophil involvement in retroperitoneal fibrosis, sclerosing mediastinitis, and sclerosing cholangitis, but none in Dupuytren’s. One less lead to investigate in the quest to find a cure for Dupuytren’s.
