Open AccessAltered expression of interferon‐γ and interleukin‐4 in inflammatory bowel disease
Author(s) -
Camoglio Luisa,
Te Velde Anje A.,
Tigges Albert J.,
Das Pranab K.,
Van Deventer Sander J. H.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
inflammatory bowel diseases
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.932
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1536-4844
pISSN - 1078-0998
DOI - 10.1002/ibd.3780040406
Subject(s) - lamina propria , cytokine , inflammatory bowel disease , immunology , ulcerative colitis , tumor necrosis factor alpha , cd8 , interferon gamma , immune system , interleukin 4 , cd3 , interleukin , medicine , intestinal mucosa , pathology , disease , epithelium
Experimental data indicate that mucosal CD4+ T cells play an important role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Based on the pattern of cytokine production, CD4+ T cells may be distinguished into two different phenotypes. Th1 responses are characterized by secretion of interleukin (IL)‐2, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α, lympho‐toxin, and interferon (IFN)‐γ and are associated with delayed‐type hypersensitivity reactions, whereas Th2 responses, which are characterized by secretion of IL‐4, IL‐5, and IL‐10, have been associated with humoral immune responses and allergy. To assess the number of IFN‐α and IL‐4 positive cells in IBD and normal intestinal specimens, frozen sections from intestinal specimens from 10 Crohn's disease (CD), 8 ulcerative colitis (UC), and 8 healthy controls were examined by immunohisto‐chemistry. Monoclonal antibodies for CD3, CD8, IFN‐γ, and IL‐4 were used. T‐lymphocyte infiltration and cytokine expression by epithelial, lamina propria, and submucosal cells were scored on a four‐point scale by two independent observers who were blinded for the clinical data. One‐way analysis of variance (ANOVA) testing was used for statistical analysis. In intestinal specimens from IBD patients, the number of CD3+ cells was found increased in the lamina propria and, within the submucosa, this increase was significant (p < 0.001). In CD the number of lamina propria IFN‐γ positive cells was significantly increased as compared with controls (p < 0.002). In UC the number of both IFN‐γ and IL‐4 producing cells in the lamina propria was not significantly increased as compared with controls. The present results confirm the existence of a Th1‐biased pattern production in CD but not in UC.