Publication: The role of activated cytotoxic T cells in inflammatory bowel disease
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Date
2000
Authors
Kappeler, Andreas ; Mueller, C.
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Publisher
Murcia : F. Hernández
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DOI
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info:eu-repo/semantics/article
Description
Abstract
The role of cell-mediated cytotoxicity in the
pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease
has been controversial since reports indicating either a
decreased, or an increased, activity of cytotoxic T cells
in active stages of inflammatory bowel disease exist.
Some of these discrepancies may be attributed to the fact
that so far mostly peripheral blood lymphocytes rather
than intestinal T cells have been examined. To overcome
some of these limitations we performed in situ
hybridizations for the detection of perforin and
granzyme A mRNA expressing cells, i.e. of cytotoxic
cells activated in situ, in the affected intestinal mucosa.
These studies revealed increased frequencies of
activated, cytotoxic T cells in active stages of ulcerative
colitis and Crohn's disease. Interestingly, activated
perforin mRNA expressing T cells are present both in
the CD4 and in the CD8 T cell subsets. In the latter T
cell subset up to 60% of the mucosal T cells isolated
from the affected sites express perforin mRNA at
detectable levels. The elevated frequency of activated
cytotoxic cells and their histological distribution also in
close proximity to the epithelial cells may thus indicate
an important role for cytotoxic cells in the pathogenesis
of inflammatory bowel disease since activated cytotoxic
T cells may further exacerbate the inflammatory process
through the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines
such as interferon-y or tumor necrosis factor-a, but also
through the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and
chemokines upon lysis of epithelial cells and the
increased influx of lumina1 antigens at the site of
epithelia1 erosions.
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