Depression in patients with mastocytosis is often reported but its prevalence and characteristics are not precisely described. depression (64%). Depression was moderate in 56% but severe in 8% of cases. Core symptoms (such as psychic anxiety, depressed mood, work and interests) characterized depression in mastocytosis patients. Masitinib therapy was associated with significant improvement (67% of the cases) of overall depression, with 75% of recovery cases. Global Quality of Life slightly improved after masitinib therapy and did not predicted depression improvement. In conclusion, depression is very frequent in mastocytosis patients and masitinib therapy is associated with the reduction its psychic experiences. We conclude that depression in mastocytosis may originate from processes related to mast cells activation. Masitinib could therefore be a useful treatment for mastocytosis patients with depression and anxiety symptoms. Introduction Mastocytosis is a rare disease characterized by mast cells (MC) accumulation in one or several organs [1]C[3]. Based on organ dysfunction, systemic mastocytosis is divided into indolent and aggressive disease [1], [4], [5]. In the majority of cases (>90%) mastocytosis presents as an indolent disease [6]. Even though mastocytosis is usually not a life threatening disease, indolent forms are associated with significant disability in more than 60% of patients [7]. As such, it can have a significant negative impact on quality of life. Stem cell factor (SCF) is a growth factor that stimulates the proliferation, the survival and the development of mast cells [8]. The biological activity of SCF is induced following its binding to its receptor (SCF-R) encoded by the c-kit proto-oncogene. SCF-R/KIT (also called CD117) is a member of the type III receptor protein-tyrosine kinase family (TKR) [9]. Type III TKRs consist of a glycosylated extra-cellular ligand-binding domain followed by a transmembrane and a cytoplasmic domain which provides docking sites for adaptor proteins following receptor activation allowing cell signalling [10]. Gain of function mutations in c-kit result in constitutive KIT activation and are related to mastocytosis but also other neoplastic transformations including leukaemias, melanoma and others types of cancer [11], [12]. These mutations induce constitutive receptor autophosphorylation and its ligand-independent activity [13]. In most of adult forms of indolent systemic mastocytosis, KIT is constitutively activated as a consequence of D816V mutation, whereas in pediatric forms of mastocytosis extracellular and juxtamembrane mutations are more common [14], [15]. Treatment of mastocytosis is mainly symptomatic, except in aggressive buy 745-65-3 and systemic forms with severe disabling symptoms. Masitinib is a phenylaminothiazole-type tyrosine kinase inhibitor that selectively targets KIT, platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR) and Lyn kinase [16]. Masitinib’s inhibitory effect results in cell cycle arrest and apoptosis of cell lines dependent on KIT signaling [17]. In addition, masitinib inhibits constitutive activation of KIT as a result of juxtamembrane and extracellular mutations found in pediatric forms of mastocytosis. In contrast, activation of KIT as a consequence of D816V mutation is not inhibited by masitinib. However, by blocking Lyn masitinib may block mast cell buy 745-65-3 degranulation and therefore improve symptoms related to mast cell degranulation. Thus, masitinib may have a cytotoxic effect and may reduce tumor burden in patients bearing pediatric’s type mutations or wild type c-kit [16]. Although some reported cases of systemic mastocytosis with neurologic manifestations (neurosensory deafness, loss of consciousness, encephalopathy, hypoxic lesions leading to Parkinsonism), suggest central nervous buy 745-65-3 system involvement, it is unsure whether it can be attributed to mast cell infiltration and/or mediators releasing [18]C[21]. Masitinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) with exhibiting high affinity and selectivity for KIT receptor and efficiency an anxious-depression dimension including the symptoms reflecting core cognitive, affective and somatic aspects of depression (depressed mood, guilt, work and interests impairments) and anxiety (somatic and psychic anxiety), and a sleep disturbances dimension grouping sleep disturbances related to depression (middle and late insomnia). When exploring depression in mastocytosis, symptoms usually considered as the core of depression (psychic anxiety, depressed mood, work and interests) characterized depressed patients. In a subsample of 35 patients, Fgfr2 Masitinib therapy was associated with significant improvement (50%C67% of the cases) of overall depression, with 25%C75% of recovery cases according to criteria for baseline depression and improvement. Response in depression symptoms after masitinib therapy was demonstrated through improvement of the anxious-depression dimension as well as of total scores. Global quality of life slightly improved after masitinib therapy but these changes did not predict depression improvement. These results suggest a specific MC involvement in psychological symptoms present in this disease. This huge prevalence of depression suggests a systemic brain involvement probably through MC mediators such as serotonin, substance buy 745-65-3 P or cytokines. Recent research suggested that mast cells are involved in mechanisms related to emotion regulation [37]C[39]. Mast cells are often located around vessels and it has been shown that, even if mast cells do not cross the.

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