溃疡性结肠炎患者核因子-κB活化与细胞因子基因表达

目的　探讨溃疡性结肠炎 (UC)患者肠黏膜活检组织细胞因子mRNA的表达及其与NF κB活化的关系 ,以及抗炎药物 (柳氮磺吡啶和糖皮质激素 )对其的影响。方法　 31例来自四川大学华西医院的UC患者 (符合 1993年太原会议制定的UC诊断标准 )被纳入本研究。其中 17例使用过药物 (柳氮磺吡啶或柳氮磺吡啶 +糖皮质激素 )治疗 ,14例未用过任何与UC治疗相关的药物 ,11例同期结肠癌患者 (取其癌旁正常组织 )作为对照。采用 :(1)凝胶电泳迁移率改变分析检测核因子 (NF) κBDNA结合活性 ;(2 )逆转录聚合酶链反应检测白细胞介素 (IL) 1βmRNA和IL 8mRNA的表达。 结果　 (1)UC患者肠黏膜活检组织IL 1βmRNA和IL 8mRNA表达与对照组相比明显升高 (P <0 0 5 ) ,且与NF κBDNA结合活性呈显著正相关 (IL 1β :r=0 836 3,P <0 0 5 ;IL 8:r=0 6 0 2 4 ,P <0 0 5 )。 (2 )糖皮质激素和柳氮磺吡啶明显抑制NF κB的活性 ,降低IL 1βmRNA和IL 8mRNA的表达。结论　 (1)NF κB是UC细胞因子释放的关键调控因素 ,在UC的发生和发展中起着十分重要的作用。 (2 )糖皮质激素和柳氮磺吡啶可能通过抑制NF κB的活性 ,减少细胞因子的表达而起到抗炎作用。     

Urocortin 1 in colonic mucosa in patients with ulcerative colitis

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is characterized by a long-standing chronic inflammation of the bowel with intermittent periods of exacerbation and remission. Its acute exacerbation appears to be related to various stresses. Urocortin 1 (Ucn1) may play important roles in integrated local responses to stress. We therefore examined local production of Ucn1 in patients with UC by immunohistochemistry and mRNA in situ hybridization. Ucn1 immunoreactivity was predominantly detected in lamina propria plasma cells and enterochromaffin cells. In UC patients without glucocorticoid treatment, Ucn1-positive cells and plasma cells increased in proportion to the severity of inflammation (P < 0.0001). Ucn1-positive cells significantly increased in UC patients with advanced inflammatory grades, compared with a control group (P < 0.0001) and nonspecific colitis group (P < 0.0001). In glucocorticoid-treated patients, Ucn1-positive cells were significantly lower in number, compared with the nonglucocorticoid-treated group. Ucn1 mRNA was expressed in lamina propria plasma cells, and both corticotropin-releasing factor(1) and corticotropin-releasing factor(2(a)) mRNAs were also partially coexpressed in these cells and macrophages. The present study showed that Ucn1-positive cells were correlated with the severity of inflammation in colonic mucosa with UC, and glucocorticoid treatment decreased these cells. Ucn1 therefore may act as a possible local immune-inflammatory mediator in UC.     

Induction of experimental ulcerative colitis by Fusobacterium varium isolated from colonic mucosa of patients with ulcerative colitis

BACKGROUND: Bacteria are implicated in certain forms of model chronic colitis but the identity and role of bacteria in human ulcerative colitis (UC) are uncertain. AIMS: To isolate pathogenic bacteria from inflamed mucosa of patients with UC, to examine whether the bacteria have a toxin to Vero cells, and to determine whether the toxin induces UC-like lesions in animals. METHODS: Bacteria were isolated from UC patients and supernatants from cultures were filtered and tested for cytotoxicity to Vero cells. Bacterial cells producing the cytotoxic supernatants were examined by polymerase chain reaction for verotoxin genes. Culture supernatants of cytotoxic strains were examined by high performance liquid chromatography for organic acid concentrations. Mice were given enemas containing organic acid at the mean concentration in the supernatants of cytotoxic strains to ascertain whether colonic lesions appear in UC. RESULTS: Only supernatants from cultures of Fusobacterium varium killed Vero cells. Bacterial cells lacked verotoxin genes. Bacterial culture supernatants contained high concentrations of n-butyric acid and the mean concentration (32 mmol/l) was cytotoxic to Vero cells. Twenty four hours after mice were given enemas containing either butyric acid or F varium culture supernatants, colonic ulcers with crypt abscesses, inflammatory cell infiltration, and apoptotic changes were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Butyric acid in culture supernatants from cultures of F varium caused UC-like lesions in mice. This study indicates that F varium may be one of the elusive pathogenic factors in UC.     

Platelet activating factor: release from colonic mucosa in patients with ulcerative colitis and its effect on colonic secretion.

Inflammatory mediators have been implicated in the pathophysiology of ulcerative colitis. They may stimulate intestinal secretion and contribute to the production of diarrhoea. Platelet activating factor (PAF) may be responsible for a high proportion of this secretory response. Biopsy specimens from inflamed and quiescent mucosa of patients with ulcerative colitis and normal human colonic mucosa were cultured or co-cultured. The release of PAF, prostaglandin E2, and leukotriene D4 into the culture medium was measured and the ability of this culture medium, from inflamed and normal tissues, to influence secretion in rat colonic mucosa was assessed. PAF was liberated by inflamed tissue. Its release from quiescent but not normal tissue was stimulated by medium in which inflamed mucosal biopsy tissues had been cultured and by exogenous bradykinin and 5-hydroxytryptamine, but not by histamine. PAF stimulated eicosanoid production. The rise in short circuit current produced in vitro by inflamed tissue culture medium was inhibited by the PAF receptor antagonist (CV 6209) (46%) (32.4 (2.9) v 17.5 (1.19) muA.cm-2, p < 0.005) and further by combined cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase inhibition (indomethacin plus ICI 207968) (58%) (32.4 (2.9) v 13.6 (1.9) muA.cm-2, p < 0.005). Mepacrine and hydrocortisone attenuated considerably the electrical response evoked by medium from inflamed mucosa to a similar extent (32.4 (2.9) v 6.3 (1.2) v 5.1 (0.9) muA.cm-2, p < 0.001). These data suggest that PAF accounted for 46% of the culture medium secretory effect. Thus, any attempt to block its release in patients with ulcerative colitis may have only a partial effect on their symptoms.     

Telomere shortening in the colonic mucosa of patients with ulcerative colitis

Telomere length in human somatic cells gradually decreases with the number of cell divisions and is regarded as a marker of somatic cell turnover. Mucosal cells of the affected colon show rapid turnover in individuals with active ulcerative colitis (UC). Telomere length was determined by Southern blot analysis of terminal restriction fragments (TRFs) from the colonic mucosa of 17 patients with UC in remission, two of whom showed dysplasia, and 17 control subjects without colitis. For each individual, mean TRF length was compared between rectal mucosa and unaffected cecal mucosa. The mean TRF length of the rectal mucosa was significantly less than that of cecal mucosa in UC patients (7.87 ± 0.36 kb versus 8.77 ± 0.21 kb; P = 0.0015, Wilcoxon signed rank test), whereas no significant difference was detected in the control subjects. The extent of telomere shortening was 10.6 ± 3.35% in UC patients, compared with 0.8 ± 0.64% in noncolitis controls (P = 0.0024, Mann-Whitney U-test). Four UC patients, two of whom had dysplasia, showed telomere shortening of more than 20% in the rectal mucosa. These observations suggest that telomere shortening in the colonic mucosa of individuals with UC may represent the history of mucosal inflammation during disease of long duration, and that it may contribute to aneuploidy in UC. (Received May 6, 1997; accepted Sept. 26, 1997)     

溃疡性结肠炎患者结肠黏膜肝细胞生长因子的表达意义

目的探讨肝细胞生长因子（HGF）及其受体c-Met在活动性和非活动性溃疡性结肠炎（UC）患者结肠黏膜组织的表达意义。方法采用免疫组化SABC法检测活动性和非活动性UC患者以及对照组肠镜活检组织中HGF、c-Met表达；SP法检测增殖细胞核抗原（PCNA）表达。结果对照组、活动性UC组、非活动性UC组HGF阳性表达率分别为25％、88％、100％；c-Met阳性表达率分别为25％、92％、100％；组间比较有显著性差异，P均〈0．05；HGF、c-Met在UC结肠黏膜表达与PCNA过表达正相关（r分别为0．648、0．645，P均〈0．05）。结论HGF及其受体c-Met可能在UC结肠炎症黏膜修复中起作用。     

Corticotropin releasing hormone in colonic mucosa in patients with ulcerative colitis.

Corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) is a key hormone in integrated response to stress, acting as the major regulator of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Recently, local production of CRH has been detected in normal human colonic enterochromaffin cells. CRH is locally secreted in granulomatous and arthritic tissues in rats and humans, where it seems to act as a local proinflammatory agent. To find out if CRH is present in colonic tissues of patients with ulcerative colitis, this study examined the expression of this peptide in the large bowel of patients with ulcerative colitis. Colonic tissues of patients with ulcerative colitis obtained by endoscopic biopsy were immunostained with anti-CRH antibody. CRH messenger (m) RNA was also examined in biopsy specimens of ulcerative colitis by the reverse transcribed polymerase chain reaction method and by in situ hybridisation. Considerably enhanced expression of immunoreactive CRH was found in mucosal inflammatory cells. Intense staining with anti-CRH antibody was also shown in mucosal macrophages. CRH mRNA was expressed in mucosal epithelial cells. The expression of immunoreactive CRH in colonic mucosal epithelial cells of ulcerative colitis slightly increased, but not significantly, compared with normal colonic mucosal epithelial cells. These results suggest that CRH may play a part in the modulation of intestinal immune and inflammatory system, and as a modulator in the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis.     

溃疡性结肠炎结肠黏膜修复中HGF,c-Met,EGFR的作用

目的:观察并分析肝细胞生长因子(HGF)及其受体c-Met与表皮生长因子受体(EGFR)在溃疡性结肠炎(UC)活动和非活动阶段患者结肠黏膜的表达情况,探讨其表达的临床意义．方法:根据改良Williams疾病活动指数(DAI) 将42例UC患者分为活动期(n=25)和非活动期(n=17)2组,对照组(n=20)为门诊健康体检者或肠易激综合征患者．结肠镜下活检各组患者结肠黏膜组织,采用免疫组化SABC法检测各组患者结肠黏膜HGF及c-Met表达;SP法检测EGFR及增殖细胞核抗原(PCNA)表达．结果:对照组、活动期UC患者、非活动期 UC患者HGF阳性表达率分别为22％,88％, 100％(X2=62．84,P<0．01);c-Met阳性表达率分别为25％,92％,100％(X2=62．34,P<0．01); EGFR阳性表达率分别为25％,92％,1 00％(X2 =54．34,P<0．01);PCNA过表达率分别为0, 36％,100％(X2=67．50,P<0．01),组间比较差异显著．HGF,c-Met和EGFR在UC患者结肠黏膜表达与PCNA过表达正相关(r=0．648,0．645, 0．565,P<0．01)．结论:HGF,c-Met,EGFR及PCNA在非活动期UC患者结肠黏膜中的表达较活动期UC患者和对照组明显增加．HGF及其受体c-Met与 EGFR在UC患者结肠炎症黏膜修复过程中可能起一定作用．     

神经激肽-1受体在溃疡性结肠炎黏膜中的表达

目的：了解神经激肽-1受体(NK-1R)在溃疡性结肠炎(UC)病人结肠活检黏膜中的表达，探讨该受体的表达与UC严重程度的关系。方法：38个UC黏膜标本取自因该病而行结肠镜检查的病人，男23例，女15例；对照组结肠黏膜取自15例肠易激综合征(IBS)病人，男8例，女7例。应用逆转录聚合酶链反应(RT-PCR)检测对照组和UC肠黏膜NK-1R的mRNA表达水平，应用Western blot技术检测NK-1R的蛋白水平，以免疫组化方法进行NK-1R的组织学定位。结果：与对照组肠黏膜相比，UC黏膜中NK-1R mRNA和蛋白都过度表达，NK-1R mRNA的表达与疾病的严重程度相关。免疫组化检查显示，NK-1R的表达主要位于UC的肠黏膜表面、黏膜固有层的单核细胞、黏膜下层的动静脉等处。结论：UC黏膜组织中NK-1R的表达水平明显上调，扰乱了神经激肽的作用环节，加剧了肠黏膜的病理改变。     

Phospholipase A2 activity of colonic mucosa in patients with ulcerative colitis.

Activation of enzyme phospholipase A2 (EC 3.1.1.4), the major liberator of arachidonic acid, has been proposed as a component in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease. To test the hypothesis that phospholipase A2 activity is increased in ulcerative colitis, enzyme activity was investigated in colonic biopsies using radiolabelled Escherichia coli as substrate. The study comprised patients with ulcerative colitis (n = 19) and controls without inflammatory bowel disease (n = 7). Ulcerative colitis patients were grouped into those with active disease (n = 8) and those in remission (n = 11) at the time of colonoscopy. No differences were found in mucosal phospholipase A2 activity between patients with active disease, patients in remission and controls. With the present assay we were unable to demonstrate activation of phospholipase A2 as a mechanism in the inflammatory process of ulcerative colitis.     

Leucocyte migration test with autologous colonic mucosa as antigen in patients with ulcerative colitis

The leucocyte migration agarose technique (LMAT) was applied in a study of the migration of peripheral leucocytes in 16 patients with ulcerative colitis using three different autologous types of tissue as antigen: rectal mucosa, skin and buccal mucosa. In all cases the migration indices were within normal limits, and they did not differ from a group of control patients suffering from peptic ulcer, irritable colon or haemorrhoidal tumours. The present study does not support the theory of cellular hypersensitivity against colonic mucosa in patients with ulcerative colitis.     

Increased arachidonic acid composition of phospholipids in colonic mucosa from patients with active ulcerative colitis.

The long chain fatty acid composition of phospholipids in colonic mucosa was determined by high performance liquid chromatography in nine patients with active ulcerative colitis and eight healthy controls. The arachidonic acid composition was 12.5 +/- 1.4 mol % (mean +/- 2 SEM) in the inflamed colonic mucosa from the patients with active ulcerative colitis and 6.8 +/- 1.2 mol % in the intact mucosa from healthy controls (p less than 0.001). In the inflamed colonic mucosa, oleic acid and palmitoleic acid were concomitantly decreased (p less than 0.001 and p less than 0.02, respectively), while docosahexaenoic acid was increased (p less than 0.05). Histopathological examination showed that there was a three fold increase in the cell density of inflammatory infiltrate in the lamina propria of the inflamed colonic mucosa (p less than 0.001). The cell density of inflammatory infiltrate correlated with the arachidonic acid composition of phospholipids in colonic mucosa (r = 0.89, p less than 0.005). These findings indicate that inflammation alters the long chain fatty acid composition of phospholipids in colonic mucosa. The observed increase in the arachidonic acid composition of phospholipids in inflamed colonic mucosa may contribute to the enhanced arachidonic acid metabolism in patients with active ulcerative colitis.     

溃疡性结肠炎患者结肠黏膜中Smad3和Smad7表达的研究

目的 探讨Smad3和Smad7在溃疡性结肠炎(UC)中的表达及其与临床病理因素的关系.方法 应用免疫组化SABC法检测60例UC患者的结肠黏膜及16例正常结肠黏膜(对照组)中Smad3和Smad7的表达.回顾性分析Smad3和Smad7的表达与UC临床分期、病变范围和病理组织学分级的关系.结果 Smad3在活动期和缓解期UC中的表达显著低于对照组(P值均＜0.05);其与病变范围无相关性(r_s=-0.192,P=0.141),但与病理组织学分级呈负相关(r_s=-0.283.P=0.029).Smad7在活动期和缓解期UC中的表达显著增强(P值均＜0.05),且活动期显著高于缓解期(Z=2.097,P=0.036);其与病变范围无关(r_s=0.066,P=0.614),但与病理组织学分级呈正相关(r_s=0.453.P=0.000).相关分析结果提示,Smad3和Smad7在UC中的表达水平间呈负相关(r_s=0.420,P=0.001).结论 转化生长因子-β1/Smad蛋白的异常表达与UC的发病机制密切相关,Smad7有可能成为反映UC疾病活动度的生物学指标.     

Tissue-type plasminogen activator of colonic mucosa in ulcerative colitis

Microvascular endothelial alterations are thought to be a crucial step for development of hemorrhagic changes in various pathological states. In this study, we determined the activity and amount of tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) in the biopsy specimens from sigmoid colon of patients with ulcerative colitis to evaluate endothelial alterations and vascular changes of permeability. The results of this investigation revealed that mucosal amount of t-PA in the active stage of ulcerative colitis was two- to threefold higher than in healthy controls, while t-PA levels in plasma samples showed no remarkable differences among the groups. Increased t-PA activity appeared to correlate well to the degree of inflammation of colonic mucosa, and t-PA amount was still increased in the inactive stage. The present study indicates that t-PA determination in colonic biopsy specimens may be useful for the evaluation of clinical activity of ulcerative colitis in terms of the mucosal microvascular endothelial changes.This work was supported by the grant from the Japanese Ministry of Education No. 63440033 and by the grant from Keio University, School of Medicine.     

Lymphatic vessels in the colonic mucosa in ulcerative colitis

In the normal colonic mucosa, lymphatics are found only in a narrow band associated with the muscularis mucosae and are absent from the rest of the mucosa. This study examined whether this arrangement of lymphatics is also valid in ulcerative colitis. Histological sections of colon from 15 long-standing cases were investigated with antibodies against CD 34 (negative for lymphatics; positive for blood vessel endothelium) and, in selected cases, podoplanin (positive for lymphatic endothelium; negative for blood vessel endothelium). Whereas inflammation of the mucosa was not associated with changes in lymphatics, an increase in intramucosal lymphatics was seen when the pathological changes included widening of the muscularis mucosae or penetration of the mucosa by muscle fibers, filiform changes in the mucosa, and hyperplasia of the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT). In specimens with epithelial dysplasia, an association between the dysplastic epithelium and ectatic and quantitatively increased lymphatics was observed. With superimposed carcinoma, no relationship between the malignant tumor and lymphatics was identifiable. Nevertheless, pre-existing lymphatics in the muscularis mucosae were involved in lymphatic tumor spread. The immunohistochemical findings demonstrated that lymphatics occurred in all areas of the mucosa in ulcerative colitis (or, in effect, at sites which were not normally found under physiological conditions) and in regions that favored lymphatic tumor dissemination. Whether these lymphatics were actually involved in metastasis remains to be defined.     

Increased eosinophil infiltration and degranulation in colonic tissue from patients with collagenous colitis

OBJECTIVE: Eosinophils infiltrate the colonic mucosa of patients with collagenous colitis (CC), although the pathogenetic implications are unknown, including whether these eosinophils are activated and degranulate in situ. We examined eosinophil infiltration and degranulation in the intestines of patients with CC by immunofluorescence for eosinophil granule major basic protein (MBP). METHODS: We used both conventional histology (hematoxylin and eosin) and indirect MBP immunofluorescence histochemistry on colon biopsy specimens from patients with CC (n = 21) and from healthy controls (n = 9). Scoring of histological features was performed on hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections on a 0 to 3 scale. Eosinophil infiltration and degranulation, as quantified by extracellular MBP staining, were scored in each specimen on a 0 to 4 scale. RESULTS: The inflammatory infiltrate of the lamina propria, the thickness of the collagen band, the numbers of intraepithelial lymphocytes, and degree of epithelial cell damage were all significantly increased in patients with CC as compared to controls (p < 0.0001). Scores for both eosinophil infiltration and degranulation were also significantly higher in the CC group compared to controls (p < 0.0001). The degree of infiltrating eosinophils by hematoxylin and eosin was correlated with eosinophil infiltration and degranulation by MBP immunostaining; however, no other correlations were found between eosinophil infiltration or degranulation by immunofluorescence and any of the histological parameters measured in the CC group. CONCLUSIONS: Eosinophil infiltration and degranulation are increased in the colonic mucosa of patients with CC compared to healthy controls. Eosinophils and their cytotoxic granule proteins could be involved in the pathogenesis of CC. Further studies will be necessary to elucidate the mechanisms of eosinophil activation in CC.     

Ornithine decarboxylase in colonic mucosa from patients with moderate or severe Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

Polyamines, as well as ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), the enzyme involved in their synthesis, were reported to be closely related to cell proliferation. In Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, cell destruction and proliferation increase in the active stage. The aim of the present study was to determine the ODC in both involved and uninvolved areas of the colonic mucosa of active Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis patients. The patients were divided in two groups, owing to the different level of activity (severe or moderate), by means of clinical endoscopy, laboratory, and histology evaluations. Subjects with suspected disease, but endoscopically unconfirmed, were used as controls. In all ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease patients the ODC values both in involved and uninvolved mucosa were significantly lower than in controls. In severe Crohn's disease ODC was significantly reduced versus moderate Crohn's disease only in affected tissues. In all ulcerative colitis patients (moderate or severe) the ODC was significantly decreased in involved mucosa compared with uninvolved mucosa. Severe ulcerative colitis showed the significantly lowest ODC. We suggest that the significant decrease of ODC in the bowel mucosa is closely related to the severity of the disease. The highest decrease of ODC in ulcerative colitis patients would be due both to the enhanced cell destruction, and to the feed-back from exogenous increased polyamine production (bowel bacteria, cell desquamation). Therefore ODC would be considered a sensitive index of the inflammatory derangement of the mucosa, especially in acute ulcerative colitis. We conclude that this behaviour may result in an enhanced risk of neoplasia.