TY - JOUR
T1 - Increased presence of eosinophilic granulocytes expressing transforming growth factor-beta1 in collagenous colitis
AU - Stahle-Backdahl, M
AU - Malm, Johan
AU - Veress, Bela
AU - Benoni, Cecilia
AU - Bruce, K
AU - Egesten, Arne
PY - 2000
Y1 - 2000
N2 - BACKGROUND: Collagenous colitis is a disease characterized by chronic watery diarrhea, and on microscopic examination of colonic tissue, a typical thickening of the subepithelial collagen layer is seen. The etiology and pathophysiology behind this disease state are largely unknown. METHODS: We have used in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry to study the expression of transforming growth factor (TGF) -beta1, a growth factor with the capacity to cause accumulation of collagen in tissues, in collagenous colitis. Colonic pinch biopsy specimens from a total of 34 patients were investigated: 17 patients with collagenous colitis and 17 controls. RESULTS: In patients with collagenous colitis there was increased expression of the TGF-beta1 gene compared with controls, as visualized by in situ hybridization. The vast majority of the TGF-beta1-expressing cells were eosinophils, both in collagenous colitis and controls, but there were also scattered fibroblastic and histiocytic stromal cells. Immunohistochemistry showed the presence of TGF-beta1, mainly in eosinophils, in the colonic mucosa. Morphometric quantification showed 603 +/- 192 eosinophils/mm2, (mean +/- standard error of the mean) in the colonic mucosa of patients with collagenous colitis compared with 30 +/- 7 eosinophils/mm2 in the controls. CONCLUSIONS: The present results suggest that eosinophils expressing TGF-beta1 may be of pathophysiologic importance in the connective tissue remodeling seen in collagenous colitis.
AB - BACKGROUND: Collagenous colitis is a disease characterized by chronic watery diarrhea, and on microscopic examination of colonic tissue, a typical thickening of the subepithelial collagen layer is seen. The etiology and pathophysiology behind this disease state are largely unknown. METHODS: We have used in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry to study the expression of transforming growth factor (TGF) -beta1, a growth factor with the capacity to cause accumulation of collagen in tissues, in collagenous colitis. Colonic pinch biopsy specimens from a total of 34 patients were investigated: 17 patients with collagenous colitis and 17 controls. RESULTS: In patients with collagenous colitis there was increased expression of the TGF-beta1 gene compared with controls, as visualized by in situ hybridization. The vast majority of the TGF-beta1-expressing cells were eosinophils, both in collagenous colitis and controls, but there were also scattered fibroblastic and histiocytic stromal cells. Immunohistochemistry showed the presence of TGF-beta1, mainly in eosinophils, in the colonic mucosa. Morphometric quantification showed 603 +/- 192 eosinophils/mm2, (mean +/- standard error of the mean) in the colonic mucosa of patients with collagenous colitis compared with 30 +/- 7 eosinophils/mm2 in the controls. CONCLUSIONS: The present results suggest that eosinophils expressing TGF-beta1 may be of pathophysiologic importance in the connective tissue remodeling seen in collagenous colitis.
U2 - 10.1080/003655200750023426
DO - 10.1080/003655200750023426
M3 - Article
C2 - 10972179
SN - 1502-7708
VL - 35
SP - 742
EP - 746
JO - Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology
JF - Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology
IS - 7
ER -