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Stressful life events as a risk factor for inflammatory bowel disease onset: A population-based case-control study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Stress is often perceived by patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) as the leading cause of their disease. The aim of this study was to assess whether stress, evaluated through life event (LE) occurrence, is associated with IBD onset. METHODS: Incident cases of IBD, including 167 patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and 74 with ulcerative colitis (UC), were compared with two control groups, one of 69 patients with acute self-limited colitis (ASLC) and another of 255 blood donors (BDs). Stress was assessed using Paykel's self-questionnaire of LEs. Only LEs occurring within 6 months before the onset of symptoms in IBD cases and ASLC controls and before blood donation in BD controls were registered. Anxiety and depression were assessed using Bate's and Beck's questionnaires, respectively. RESULTS: In univariate analysis, occurrence of LEs was more frequent in the 6-month period prior to diagnosis in CD cases than in UC cases or either control group. After adjustment for depression and anxiety scores as well as other characteristics such as smoking status and sociodemographic features, this association appeared no longer significant. No associations were noted between occurrence of LEs and onset of UC relative to controls. CONCLUSIONS: Despite its separate association with CD, LE occurrence does not appear to be an independent risk factor for IBD onset.

Adult↗

Inflammatory bowel disease in children and adolescents: a somatic and psychiatric investigation.

Twenty consecutive patients between 9 and 18 years of age with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) [ulcerative colitis (UC) or Crohn's disease (CD)] were assessed for the presence of psychiatric disorder. The prevalence of psychiatric disorder using the DSM-III-R criteria (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual 3rd ed., revised), was 60% in the IBD group compared to 15% in a matched control group (p = 0.009). The psychiatric disturbances were mainly depressive or anxiety disorders. The IBD children also scored significantly higher (p = 0.0028) on the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) which was completed by the mothers. This indicates more behavioural problems in the IBD group than in the control group. The present study suggests that children and adolescents with IBD comprise a population at high risk for developing a psychiatric disorder that may not be overt but nevertheless plays an important interactive role in the course of the disease.

Adolescent↗

Diagnosis and management of inflammatory bowel disease.

The chronic, unpredictability of inflammatory bowel disease makes it difficult for patients to cope. In fact several studies quoted by Cox (1995) found that the Majority of IBD patients, even the one's who considered themselves "well," experienced some impairment in quality of life. Early detection of IBD is essential in developing patient confidence and providing motivation for cooperation in treatment. Irvine (1997) conducted a study dealing with the quality of life issues with IBD and concluded that despite impairments, most patients with IBD overcame the obstacles imposed by their illness and managed to remain productive members of society. Similar management (with anti-inflammatory drugs) makes differentiating between Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis during the early stages of the disease, unnecessary. Situations that require differentiation include: right sided pain or tenderness, steatorrhea, nutritional deficiencies, or a palpable mass (Macrae & Bhathal, 1997). Although IBD continues to be of unknown etiology, recent advances and further study in the areas of the immune system, genetics and environmental influences may provide helpful treatment options in the future. For now, the clinician/patient goal must be to maintain adequate nutrition, promote healing, treat complications, and maintain an optimal lifestyle.

Adolescent↗

Ultrasonographic evaluation of the thickness of the small intestinal wall in dogs with inflammatory bowel disease.

OBJECTIVES: To establish whether the intestinal wall thickness, as measured ultrasonographically, is significantly increased in dogs with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The results would provide the information necessary to decide whether measurement of ultrasonographic wall thickness can predict IBD in dogs. METHODS: The intestinal wall thickness of 75 dogs with idiopathic IBD, as measured by ultrasonography, was compared with recently published normal values. IBD was either confirmed histologically (n = 54) or suspected (n = 21). In all cases there was a positive response to immunosuppressive treatment. RESULTS: A positive association between intestinal wall thickness in dogs and either the histological diagnosis or the response to treatment was not found. Ultrasonographic intestinal wall measurements do not appear to be able to establish a diagnosis of intestinal inflammation and may result in a false negative diagnosis in cases of IBD. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The same 'grey zone' of between 4 and 6 mm used in humans can be used in the canine duodenum to distinguish the normal range, reserving the term 'abnormal' for an intestinal measurement greater than 6 mm in the duodenum and greater than 4.7 mm in the jejunum.

Animals↗

Virus strains from a flock exhibiting unusually high mortality due to infectious bursal disease.

OBJECTIVE: To characterise infectious bursal disease viruses (IBDVs) isolated from commercial broiler flocks exhibiting unusually high mortality due to infectious bursal disease (IBD). DESIGN: An IBD outbreak occurred in mid 1999 on two broilers farms (A and B) in northern New South Wales amongst chickens 28 to 38 days of age, with a sharp rise in mortality of 2.5%. Initial histopathological diagnosis indicated acute IBD. Since acute IBD caused by classical pathogenic and very virulent (vv) IBDVs is exotic to Australia, samples from both farms A and B were obtained and used for virus characterisation. METHOD: Tissue homogenates were made from six bursae collected from farm B. One histological sample from farm A was also used. Nucleotide sequencing of the hypervariable region (HVR) within the VP2 gene of IBDVs was determined and the deduced amino acid sequences compared with previously characterised Australian and overseas IBDVs. The phylogenetic relationship between IBDVs from farm B and IBDVs from Australia and overseas was then determined. Pathogenicity of one isolate, N2/99 from farm B, was compared with 3 other local IBDVs, as well as with three pathogenic overseas strains in 3-week-old specific pathogen-free (SPF) chickens. RESULTS: Initial histopathological characterisation of a sample of bursa from a bird on farm A showed widespread acute lymphoid necrosis, follicular haemorrhage and stromal oedema, indicative of acute IBD. Subsequent analysis using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), followed by nucleotide sequencing of the same bursal sample, as well as 6 samples from nearby farm B, showed that the IBDVs involved were similar in sequence to Australian vaccine strains and not to classical pathogenic or vvIBDVs. One isolate, N2/99 from farm B, was only marginally more pathogenic than other local IBDVs. It induced mild clinical signs in 30% of chicks and no mortality. In comparison, vvIBDV CS89 and classical pathogenic 52/70 strains induced severe clinical signs in 100% and 80% of chickens, respectively with mortalities of 27% and 12%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The results illustrated the value of nucleotide sequencing as a method for discrimination of local and exotic types of IBDV.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Presenting features of inflammatory bowel disease in Great Britain and Ireland.

BACKGROUND: Reports from individual referral centres suggest that a significant proportion of children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) present after prolonged delays and with impaired growth. AIMS: To prospectively document the presenting features, delay in presentation, disease localisation, and growth in newly diagnosed cases of IBD. METHODS: For 13 months, between June 1998 and June 1999, 3247 paediatricians, adult gastroenterologists, and surgeons across the UK and Ireland were prospectively surveyed each month and asked to report every newly diagnosed case of childhood IBD. RESULTS: A total of 739 new IBD cases aged less than 16 years were identified. Only one quarter of Crohn's disease (CD) cases presented with the "classic triad" of diarrhoea, weight loss, and abdominal pain; nearly half did not report diarrhoea. The median delay from onset of symptoms to diagnosis was 5 months (mean 11 months), with one fifth having symptoms of more than one year. Delays were most common in CD and in younger children. Short stature was noted only in those with CD and not with ulcerative colitis. One fifth of CD cases had disease activity in the jejunum and this group had significantly reduced stature. Ileo-colonic involvement was documented in most CD cases, with only a small minority having isolated ileal or isolated colonic disease. Pan-colitis was reported in most UC cases, with very few having only an isolated proctitis. CONCLUSIONS: Many children are diagnosed after prolonged delays and have growth failure. Improved knowledge of the presenting features of IBD, and earlier investigation of suspected cases, may help reduce the delays noted.

Abdominal Pain↗

Comparison of the single dose pharmacokinetics of sulphasalazine in rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease.

The pharmacokinetics of sulphasalazine and its principal metabolites in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) were compared. Patients with RA had a significantly greater concentration of plasma sulphapyridine than patients with IBD (medians 14.0 micrograms/ml and 7.4 micrograms/ml respectively). Patients with RA also tended to maintain a higher plasma sulphapyridine concentration with time, as determined by the area under the curve (AUC), but a lower plasma sulphasalazine AUC than patients with IBD. It is suggested that more sulphasalazine may be presented to the lower bowel for cleavage to sulphapyridine and 5-aminosalicylic acid in patients with RA than in IBD. Patients with RA may also have impaired metabolism of sulphapyridine as a consequence of their disease. Together these factors may contribute to higher peak circulating sulphapyridine concentrations and may be responsible for the higher incidence of side effects of sulphasalazine treatment in patients with RA than in patients with IBD.

Adult↗

Raised human cartilage glycoprotein-39 plasma levels in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory conditions.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate plasma human cartilage glycoprotein (HC gp-39) as a possible marker for the presence and/or activity of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other inflammatory conditions. BACKGROUND: HC gp-39 is a secretory product of chondrocytes, synovial cells, macrophages, and neutrophils. HC gp-39, also described as YKL-40, was found to be a marker of joint disease and tissue injury in RA and various other diseases. METHODS: Levels of HC gp-39 were determined by a sandwich enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 47 patients with RA, 47 with osteoarthritis (OA), 24 with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 24 with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and in 47 healthy controls. A disease activity score was assessed in the patients with RA, SLE, and IBD. RESULTS: The plasma level of HC gp-39 in the RA patient group was significantly higher than in the other patient groups and healthy controls. The level in patients with OA, SLE, and IBD was also significantly higher than the HC gp-39 level found in the healthy control group. HC gp-39 levels in patients with RA correlated positively with the ESR and IgM rheumatoid factor level but not with other variables of disease activity. In the patients with SLE and IBD no correlation was found with the disease activity score. CONCLUSION: The plasma level of HC gp-39 is increased in inflammatory conditions with and without joint disease (SLE, IBD, OA, and RA). Thus increased levels of HC gp-39 do not only reflect joint disease but also reflect inflammation or tissue degradation in various conditions. Notably, the highest level of HC gp-39 was found in patients with RA. Only in the RA patient group was a correlation between HC gp-39 plasma levels and some laboratory variables of disease activity found.

Adipokines↗

Magnetic resonance colonography for the detection of inflammatory diseases of the large bowel: quantifying the inflammatory activity.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to assess the diagnostic accuracy of magnetic resonance colonography (MRC) for its ability to detect and quantify inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) affecting the colon. Endoscopically obtained histopathology specimens were used as the standard of reference. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifteen normal subjects and 23 patients with suspected IBD of the large bowel underwent MRC. Three dimensional T1 weighted data sets were collected following rectal administration of water prior to and 75 seconds after intravenous administration of paramagnetic contrast (gadolinium-BOPTA). The presence of inflammatory changes in patients was documented based on bowel wall contrast enhancement, bowel wall thickness, presence of perifocal lymph nodes, and loss of haustral folds. All four criteria were quantified relative to data obtained from normal subjects and summarised in a single score. This MRC based score was compared with histopathological data based on conventional endoscopic findings. RESULTS: MRC correctly identified 68 of 73 segments found to reveal IBD changes by histopathology. All severely inflamed segments were correctly identified as such and there were no false positive findings. Based on the proposed composite score, MRC detected and characterised clinically relevant IBD of the large bowel with sensitivity and specificity values of 87% and 100%, respectively, for all investigated colonic segments. CONCLUSION: MRC may be considered a promising alternative to endoscopic biopsy in monitoring IBD activity or assessing therapeutic effectiveness.

Adult↗

Cost of illness of inflammatory bowel disease in the UK: a single centre retrospective study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The potentially high costs of care associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are recognised but we have little knowledge of the scale, profile, or determinants of these costs in the UK. This study aimed to describe costs of illness for a group of IBD patients and determine factors associated with increased healthcare costs. SETTING: A university hospital serving a target population of approximately 330 000. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A six month cohort of IBD patients receiving any form of secondary care was identified, comprising 307 cases of ulcerative (or indeterminate) colitis and 172 cases of Crohn's disease. Demographic and clinical data were abstracted from clinical records and individual resource use was itemised for all attributable costs (including extraintestinal manifestations). Item costs were derived from national and local sources. Cost data were expressed as mean six month costs per patient (with 95% confidence interval (CI)) obtained using non-parametric bootstrapping. Determinants of cost were analysed using generalised linear regression modelling. A postal survey of patients was undertaken to examine indirect costs, out of pocket expenses, and primary care visits. RESULTS: Inpatient services (medical and/or surgical) were required by 67 patients (14%) but accounted for 49% of total secondary care costs. Drug costs accounted for less than a quarter of total costs. Individual patient costs ranged from 73 to 33,254 UK pounds per six months. Mean (95% CI) six month costs per patient were 1256 UK pounds ( 988 pounds, 1721 pounds) for colitis and 1652 UK pounds (1221 pounds, 2239 pounds) for Crohn's disease. Hospitalisation, disease severity grade, and disease extent correlated positively with cost of illness but costs were independent of age or sex. Compared with quiescent cases of IBD, disease relapse was associated with a 2-3-fold increase in costs for non-hospitalised cases and a 20-fold increase in costs for hospitalised cases. Survey data suggested average six month costs were < 30 UK pounds per patient for primary care visits (both diseases) and median loss of earnings were 239 UK pounds for colitis and 299 UK pounds for Crohn's disease. CONCLUSIONS: This study represents the first detailed characterisation of the scale and determinants of costs of illness for IBD in a British hospital. Hospitalisation affected a minority of sufferers but accounted for half of the total direct costs falling on the healthcare system.

Adult↗

Risk of haematopoietic cancer in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Several chronic inflammatory conditions are associated with an increased risk of lymphoma. Whether this applies to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is still unclear but of paramount interest, particularly in the safety evaluation of newer immunosuppressive drugs. Reports also indicate a possible increase in the risk of leukaemia in IBD. We therefore assessed the risk of haematopoietic cancers in a large cohort of patients with IBD. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We performed a population based cohort study using prospectively recorded data, including 47 679 Swedish patients with Crohn's disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC) assembled from regional cohorts of IBD from 1955 to 1990 (n = 8028) and from the Inpatient Register of 1964-2000 (n = 45 060), with follow up until 2001. Relative risks were expressed as standardised incidence ratios (SIR). RESULTS: Overall, we observed 264 haematopoietic cancers during follow up, which corresponded to a borderline significant 20% increased risk in both UC and CD. In UC, lymphomas occurred as expected (SIR 1.0, n = 87) but myeloid leukaemia occurred significantly more often than expected (SIR 1.8, n = 32). In CD, there was a borderline significant increased lymphoma risk (SIR 1.3, n = 65), essentially confined to the first years of follow up. Proxy markers of disease activity had little impact on lymphoma risk. CONCLUSION: On average, patients with IBD have a marginally increased risk of haematopoietic cancer. In UC, this is accounted for by an excess of myeloid leukaemia. In CD, a modest short term increase in the risk of lymphoma of unknown significance cannot be excluded but any long term risk increase seems unlikely.

Adolescent↗

DLG5 variants do not influence susceptibility to inflammatory bowel disease in the Scottish population.

INTRODUCTION: Recent data have suggested that specific haplotypic variants of the DLG5 gene on chromosome 10q23 may be associated with susceptibility to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Germany. Haplotype D, notably characterised by the presence of a G-->A substitution at nucleotide 113, was associated with susceptibility to Crohn's disease (CD) whereas an extended haplotype A conferred protection. AIMS: Association of DLG5 haplotypic variants with disease susceptibility, genotype-phenotype relationships, and epistasis with CARD15 was investigated in the Scottish population. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 374 CD, 305 ulcerative colitis (UC), and 294 healthy controls (HC) were studied. Genotyping for the variants rs1248696 (113A, representing haplotype D) and the single nucleotide polymorphism tag rs2289311 (representing haplotype A) were typed using the Taqman system. RESULTS: On analysis of the DLG5 variant 113A, there were no associations with IBD when allelic frequency (11.4% IBD v 13.2% HC; p = 0.30) and carrier frequency (19.2% IBD v 24.6% HC; p = 0.069) were analysed. No associations were observed between 113A variant allelic frequency (p = 0.37), carrier frequency (p = 0.057), and CD. In fact, 113A heterozygosity rates were lower in CD (16%) and IBD (16.9%) than in HC (23%) (p = 0.029 and p = 0.033, respectively). No associations between DLG5 and UC were observed. Haplotype A was not protective and there was no evidence of epistasis between DLG5 and CARD15. CONCLUSIONS: The present data contrast strongly with previous data from Germany. DLG5 113A is not associated with disease susceptibility and haplotype A does not confer resistance. Further work is required to evaluate the significance of DLG5 in other populations from geographically diverse regions.

Adult↗

Evidence for association of OCTN genes and IBD5 with ulcerative colitis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Genetic association between Crohn's disease (CD) and OCTN1 (SLC22A4) C1672T/OCTN2 (SLC22A5) G-207C variants in IBD5 has recently been reported. These genes encode solute carriers and the association was suggested to be distinct from the background IBD5 risk haplotype. There have been conflicting reports of the association between markers in the IBD5 region and ulcerative colitis (UC) and interaction (epistasis) between this locus and CARD15. Our aim was to ascertain the contribution of OCTN variants to UC and CD in a large independent UK dataset, to seek genetic evidence that the OCTN association is distinct from the IBD5 risk haplotype and to identify interactions between the IBD5 and CARD15 loci. METHODS: A total of 1104 unrelated Caucasian subjects with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) (496 CD, 512 UC, 96 indeterminate) and 750 ethnically matched controls were genotyped for three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the CD associated genes (OCTN1+1672, OCTN2-207, and IGR2230), and two flanking IBD5 tagging SNPs, IGR2096 and IGR3096. Data were analysed by logistic regression methods within STATA. RESULTS: OCTN variants were as strongly associated with UC and IBD overall as they were with CD (p = 0.0001; OR 1.3 (95% confidence interval 1.1-1.5)). OCTN variants were in tight linkage disequilibrium with the extended IBD5 risk haplotype D' 0.79 and 0.88, and r2 = 0.62 and 0.72 for IGR2096 and 3096, respectively. There was no deviation from a multiplicative model of interaction between CARD15 and IBD5 on the penetrance scale. CONCLUSIONS: The OCTN variants were associated with susceptibility to IBD overall. The effect was equally strong in UC and CD. Although OCTN variants may account for the increased risk of IBD associated with IBD5, a role for other candidate genes within this extended haplotype was not excluded. There was no statistical evidence of interaction between CARD15 and either OCTN or IBD5 variants in susceptibility to IBD.

Adult↗

Control of matrix metalloproteinase production in human intestinal fibroblasts by interleukin 21.

BACKGROUND: T cell-mediated immunity plays a central part in the pathogenesis of tissue damage in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The mechanism by which T cells mediate tissue damage during IBD remains unclear, but evidence indicates that T cell-derived cytokines stimulate fibroblasts to synthesise matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), which then mediate mucosal degradation. We have previously shown that, in IBD, there is high production of interleukin (IL) 21, a T cell-derived cytokine, which enhances Th1 activity. AIM: To investigate whether IL21 controls MMP production by intestinal fibroblasts. METHODS: IL21 receptor (IL21R) was evaluated in intestinal fibroblasts by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blotting. Fibroblasts were stimulated with IL21 and MMPs were evaluated by RT-PCR and western blotting. The effect of a neutralising IL21R fusion protein (IL21R/Fc) on the induction of MMPs in fibroblasts stimulated with IBD lamina propria mononuclear cell (LPMC) supernatants was also evaluated. RESULTS: Intestinal fibroblasts constitutively express both IL21R and the common gamma chain receptor, which are necessary for IL21-driven signalling. IL21 enhances fibroblast production of MMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-3 and MMP-9, but not tissue inhibitors of MMP-1 and MMP-2. Moreover, IL21 synergises with tumour necrosis factor alpha to increase synthesis of MMP synthesis. IL21 enhances MMP secretion without affecting gene transcription and protein synthesis. IBD LPMC supernatants stimulate MMP secretion by intestinal fibroblasts, and this effect is partly inhibited by IL21R/Fc. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that fibroblasts are a potential target of IL21 in the gut and that IL21 controls MMP secretion by fibroblasts.

Cells, Cultured↗

High prevalence of Escherichia coli belonging to the B2+D phylogenetic group in inflammatory bowel disease.

BACKGROUND: It is not clear which species of bacteria may be involved in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). One way of determining which bacteria might be likely candidates is to use culture-independent methods to identify microorganisms that are present in diseased tissues but not in controls. AIMS: (1) To assess the diversity of microbial communities of biopsy tissue using culture-independent methods; (2) to culture the bacteria found in the tissues of patients with IBD but not in the controls; (3) to identify potential virulence factors associated with cultured bacteria. METHODS: 84 biopsy specimens were collected from 15 controls, 13 patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and 19 patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) from a population-based case-control study. Ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (RISA) was conducted to identify unique DNA bands in tissues from patients with CD and UC that did not appear in controls. RESULTS: RISA followed by DNA sequencing identified unique bands in biopsy specimens from patients with IBD that were classified as Escherichia coli. Targeted culture showed a significantly (p<0.05) higher number of Enterobacteriaceae in specimens from patients with IBD. The B2+D phylogenetic group, serine protease autotransporters (SPATE) and adherence factors were more likely to be associated with tissues from patients with UC and CD than with controls. CONCLUSIONS: The abundance of Enterobacteriaceae is 3-4 logs higher in tissues of patients with IBD and the B2+D phylogenetic groups are more prevalent in patients with UC and CD. The B2+D phylogenetic groups are associated with SPATE and adherence factors and may have a significant role in disease aetiology.

Biopsy↗

Abnormal plasma polyunsaturated fatty acid pattern in non-active inflammatory bowel disease.

An abnormal plasma polyunsaturated fatty acid pattern (PUFA) (increased n3 and decreased n6 PUFA) has been reported in active inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The possibility of a primary defect in the PUFA metabolism in IBD was hypothesised. The aim of this study was to assess plasma PUFA pattern in inactive inflammatory bowel disease and to ascertain whether patients who had had a colectomy and who were suffering from ulcerative colitis have a similar PUFA pattern than those patients with non-active ulcerative colitis and who had not had a colectomy. Plasma fatty acids were analysed by semi-capillary column gas-liquid chromatography in three groups of patients with inactive IBD (24 patients with inactive ulcerative colitis who had not had a colectomy, 15 patients with ulcerative colitis who had had a colectomy, and 27 patients with Crohn's disease). Plasma concentration and percentage of C22:6n3 and unsaturation index were significantly higher in patients with inactive ulcerative colitis without a colectomy and the Crohn's disease group (p < 0.0001) than in controls. Plasma concentration and percentage of C22:6n3 and the unsaturation index remained significantly higher, in both the operated and non-operated ulcerative colitis patients when compared with controls (p < 0.0001). These results suggest that in inactive IBD, an increased PUFA biosynthesis might be the cause of the high values of n3 compounds. These findings although seen in active disease, are more noticeable in remission because of the lack of artefactual factors (malnutrition, steroids, inflammation). In addition, persistence of high values in both groups of ulcerative colitis patients--that is, those who had had a colectomy and those who had not suggests the existence of a primary abnormality in the PUFA metabolism in IBD.

Adolescent↗

Interleukin 8: cells of origin in inflammatory bowel disease.

Neutrophils are important cellular mediators in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Interleukin (IL)8, a powerful neutrophil chemoattractant, is found in increased quantities in inflamed mucosa, but the cells of origin are uncertain. IL8 gene expression was studied by in situ hybridisation in uninflamed intestinal tissue resected for colon carcinoma (n = 7) and in inflamed colonic tissue resected for IBD (n = 11). Immunohistochemistry was used to assess the phenotype of IL8 expressing macrophages and the production of IL8 protein. Macrophages isolated from intestinal resections and lipopolysaccharide stimulated peripheral blood monocytes treated with 5-aminosalicylic acid, hydrocortisone, and cyclosporin A were examined for IL8 mRNA by northern blotting and IL8 secretion by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In all cases IL8 mRNA was detected by in situ hybridisation in macrophages and neutrophils adjacent to ulceration in inflamed bowel, but not detected in uninflamed mucosa from carcinoma resections. Recently recruited CD14 positive macrophages were responsible for some of this IL8 expression. IL8 protein was present in the same distribution as mRNA. Epithelial cells in normal and inflamed tissue showed neither mRNA nor protein. IL8 mRNA was expressed significantly more commonly by macrophages from IBD affected than from normal mucosa, and IL8 secretion by IBD but not normal colon macrophages was augmented significantly by lipopolysaccharide treatment. IL8 expression and production by lipopolysaccharide treated blood monocytes was inhibited by the therapeutic agents tested. These results show that neutrophils and recently recruited macrophages are responsible for production of IL8 in IBD, suggesting a mechanism for a continuing cycle of neutrophil attraction. Agents used therapeutically in these diseases may be effective in part by disrupting this cycle.

Adolescent↗

Microalbuminuria correlates with intestinal histopathological grading in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

It has previously been shown that microalbuminuria is a useful disease activity marker for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Microalbuminuria correlates strongly with the markers of clinical and laboratory disease activity such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and C reactive protein (CRP). The aim of this study was to discover if microalbuminuria accurately reflects the intestinal inflammation by correlating it with intestinal inflammation using a standard histopathological grading system in patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's colitis. Forty two patients with IBD who had undergone endoscopic examination of the entire colon for the assessment of severity and extent of the disease (Crohn's colitis (n = 21), ulcerative colitis (n = 21)) were recruited to the study. Patients with small bowel Crohn's disease were not studied. Twenty four patients had left sided colonic disease and 18 patients had extensive colonic disease. Each patient's colonic biopsy specimens were scored blindly by a histopathologist and a composite score was compiled on the basis of the severity of changes in the enterocytes and crypts and the cellularity of the lamina propria. A clinical disease activity was obtained using the simple index of Harvey and Bradshaw. Microalbuminuria was measured in all patients by an immunoturbiditimetric method. ESR and CRP were also measured, as indicators of acute phase response in the same patients. It was found that patients with active IBD had higher concentrations of microalbuminuria compared with those patients in remission (median 222 micrograms/min (range 40-686 micrograms/min) v median 96 micrograms/min (range 30-376 micrograms/min); p < 0.001)). Significantly higher concentrations of microalbuminuria were also detected in patients with extensive colonic IBD compared with those patients with left sided disease (median 297 micrograms/min (range 132-686 micrograms/min) v median 101 micrograms/min (range 30-433 micrograms/min); p < 0.001)). A strong positive correlation was seen between microalbuminuria and intestinal histopathological score in IBD patient groups with left sided colitis (r = 0.77; p < 0.001) and extensive disease (r = 0.71; p < 0.01). The standard histopathological grading system correlated with the clinical disease activity (r = 0.64; p < 0.005) and CRP (r = 0.62; p < 0.02), however, it did not correlate with ESR. In conclusion, the strong correlation of microalbuminuria with a standard intestinal histopathological grading system suggests that microalbuminuria accurately reflects the severity of colonic inflammation in patients with Crohn's colitis and ulcerative colitis.

Adult↗