Open AccessThe key role of macrophages in the immunopathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease
Author(s) -
Mahida Yashwant R.
Publication year - 2000
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.3780060105
Subject(s) - immunology , proinflammatory cytokine , inflammatory bowel disease , inflammation , macrophage , tumor necrosis factor alpha , population , medicine , ulcerative colitis , intestinal mucosa , interleukin , disease , biology , cytokine , pathology , in vitro , biochemistry , environmental health
Macrophages are important in the host's immunological and inflammatory responses. There is a large population of these cells in the normal intestinal mucosa where they represent the major antigen presenting cell population capable of determining the type of T cell responses that develop to luminal antigens. Studies suggest that the normal intestinal macrophages cannot be easily induced to mediate acute inflammatory responses. In active inflammatory bowel disease there is an increase in the mucosal macrophage population, derived from circulating monocytes. These recruited macrophages are phenotypically different from the resident population of cells and play a major role in mediating the chronic mucosal inflammation seen in patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. They secrete many cytokines that are important in the pro‐inflammatory responses, such as interleukin (IL)‐1, IL‐6, IL‐8, IL‐12, IL‐18, and tumor necrosis factor‐α. They also release reactive metabolites of oxygen and nitrogen and proteases that degrade the extracellular matrix. Macrophages also appear to be important during resolution of inflammation and repair of the intestinal mucosa that occurs during disease remission.