Basic-alimentary tractInterleukin-21 enhances T-helper cell type I signaling and interferon-γ production in Crohn’s disease
Section snippets
Patients and samples
Mucosal samples were taken from freshly obtained intestinal resection specimens of 29 patients with active CD. In 18 patients the primary site of disease was the terminal ileum and in 11 patients disease was present in both the ileum and colon. Thirteen patients were receiving corticosteroids, 10 were taking corticosteroids plus azathioprine, and 6 were taking mesalazine plus antibiotics. Eighteen CD patients had a fibrostenosing disease. The indication for surgery was chronic disease,
IL-21 expression is enhanced at the site of disease in CD
IL-21 was detected in tissue homogenates from all samples regardless of whether mucosal specimens were taken from inflammatory bowel disease patients or controls. However, there was a clear increase in the intensity of the IL-21 bands in CD compared with UC patients, diverticular disease patients, and normal controls (Figure 1A). In addition, IL-21 levels were higher in UC patients than in diverticular disease and normal control patients (P < .01), whereas no difference was seen between
Discussion
This study was performed to analyze the expression and role of IL-21 in CD. We show that IL-21 is produced at a higher level in CD patients than in UC and control patients. Enhanced expression of IL-21 is seen in areas with active inflammation, with no difference between ileal and colonic samples. IL-21 was analyzed by Western blotting because no commercial kit capable of quantitatively measuring IL-21 is available yet. Western blotting is not a quantitative technique and the arbitrary units we
References (30)
- et al.
Interleukin 12 is expressed and actively released by Crohn’s disease intestinal lamina propria mononuclear cells
Gastroenterology
(1997) - et al.
The IL-12 family of heterodimeric cytokinesnew players in the regulation of T cell responses
Immunity
(2003) - et al.
Interleukin 18 is a potent proliferative factor for intestinal mucosal lymphocytes in Crohn’s disease
Gastroenterology
(2000) - et al.
Stability and commitment in T helper cell development
Curr Opin Immunol
(2001) - et al.
IL-21a novel IL-2-family lymphokine that modulates B, T, and natural killer cell responses
J Allergy Clin Immunol
(2003) - et al.
Enhancing lamina propria Th1 cell responses with interleukin 12 produces severe tissue injury
Gastroenterology
(1999) - et al.
Expanded CD4+CD45RO+ phenotype and defective proliferative response in T lymphocytes from patients with Crohn’s disease
Gastroenterology
(1996) - et al.
IL-21 limits NK cell responses and promotes antigen-specific T cell activationa mediator of the transition from innate to adaptive immunity
Immunity
(2002) - et al.
IL-12 and Th1 immune responses in human Peyer’s patches
Trends Immunol
(2001) - et al.
The immunological and genetic basis of inflammatory bowel disease
Nat Rev Immunol
(2003)
Type 1 T-helper cell predominance and interleukin-12 expression in the gut of patients with Crohn’s disease
Am J Pathol
Antibodies to interleukin 12 abrogate established experimental colitis in mice
J Exp Med
Chronic intestinal inflammation in STAT-4 transgenic micecharacterization of disease and adoptive transfer by TNF- plus IFN-gamma-producing CD4+ T cells that respond to bacterial antigens
J Immunol
Bioactive IL-18 expression is up-regulated in Crohn’s disease
J Immunol
Response of human intestinal lamina propria T lymphocytes to interleukin 12additive effects of interleukin 15 and 7
Gut
Cited by (0)
Supported by the Fondazione Umberto di Mario, Rome, and the Broad Medical Research Program Foundation (grant IBD-00200R).