Gerald J. Gleich, M.D.

Research Professor of Dermatology and Medicine

B.A., magna cum laude, 1953, University of Michigan
M.D., cum laude, 1956, University of Michigan
General Internship, 1956-1957, Philadelphia General Hospital
Residency in Internal Medicine, 1959-61, University of Miami
Fellowship in Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 1961-1963, Univ. of Rochester Medical Center
Professor of Immunology and Medicine, Distinguished Investigator of the Mayo Foundation, Chairman, Department of Immunology, Consultant in Medicine, 1965-2001, Mayo Clinic
Board Certifications in Internal Medicine and Allergy and Immunology

Clinical and Research Interests
Clinical interests include diseases associated with eosinophilia, such as the hypereosinophilic syndrome, Churg-Strauss syndrome, the eosinophilia myalgia syndrome, the Spanish toxic oil syndrome, and the syndrome of episodic angioedema and eosinophilia. In addition, atopic diseases and their pathophysiology, especially bronchial asthma and atopic dermatitis, are subjects of both clinical and research interest. Research interests include the functions of the eosinophil, the structure and function of eosinophil granule proteins, the role of the eosinophil major basic protein in primate pregnancy and the identification of novel treatments for allergic diseases, especially the use of topical anesthetics as anti-inflammatory agents.

Selected Publications
Gleich GJ, Loegering DA, Bell MP, Checkel JL, Ackerman SJ, McKean DJ. Biochemical and functional similarities between human eosinophil-derived neurotoxin and eosinophil cationic protein: homology with ribonuclease. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1986;83:3146-3150

Hertzman PA, Blevins WL, Mayer J, Greenfield B, Ting M, Gleich GJ. Association of the eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome with the ingestion of tryptophan. N Engl J Med 1990;322:869-873

Mayeno AN, Lin F, Foote CS, Loegering DA, Ames MM, Hedberg CW, Gleich GJ. Characterization of “Peak E”, a novel amino acid associated with eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome. Science 1990;250:1707-1708

Gundel RH, Letts LG, Gleich GJ. Human eosinophil major basic protein induces airway constriction and airway hyperresponsiveness in primates. J Clin Invest 1991;87:1470-1473

Sorrentino S, Glitz DG, Hamann KJ, Loegering DA, Checkel JL, Gleich GJ. Eosinophil-derived neurotoxin and human liver ribonuclease: identity of structure and linkage of neurotoxicity to nuclease activity. J Biol Chem 1992;267:14859-14865

Butterfield JH, Gleich GJ. Interferon- treatment of six patients with the idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome. Ann Intern Med 1994;121:648-653

Cheng JF, Ott NL, Peterson EA, George TJ, Hukee MJ, Gleich GJ, Leiferman KM. Dermal eosinophils in atopic dermatitis undergo cytolytic degeneration. J Allergy Clin Immunol 1997;99:683-692

Popken-Harris P, Checkel J, Loegering D, Madden B, Springett M, Kephart G, Gleich GJ. Regulation and processing of a precursor form of eosinophil granule major basic protein (proMBP) in differentiating eosinophils. Blood 1998;92:623-631

Plager DA, Loegering DA, Weiler DA, Checkel JL, Wagner JM, Clarke NJ, Naylor S, Page SM, Thomas LL, Akerblom I, Cocks B, Stuart S, Gleich GJ. A novel and highly divergent homolog of human eosinophil granule major basic protein. J Biol Chem 1999;274:14464-14473

Gleich GJ, Leiferman KM, Pardanani A, Tefferi A, Butterfield JH. Treatment of hypereosinophilic syndrome with imatinib mesylate. Lancet 2002;359:1577–78