Clayton S, et al. - In the present study, researchers compared the differences in plasma immunological profiles (TNF- α receptor, IL-6, IFN-γ, IL-12, IL-17, IL-22, and IL-23) of patients with achalasia, eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), as well as classified these same plasma cytokine profiles in the three subtypes of achalasia. For this investigation, they analyzed plasma from 53 patients with achalasia, 22 with EoE, and 20 with GERD (symptoms plus esophagitis or + reflux study). Via multiplex enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), cytokine levels were assayed. Findings suggested that the inflammatory processes involved in achalasia, EoE, and GERD are distinct. In patients with achalasia, there were significant increases in interleukin- 6 (IL-6) vs patients with EoE. In the three subtypes of achalasia, however, the biomarker profiles were not different. The cytokine levels of any of the measured biomarkers between the achalasia and GERD groups did not differ, suggesting that luminal stasis increases the biomarker levels for any of the cytokines examined in the study.