Ultrastructural aspects of the colonic epithelium in ulcerative colitis


Ultrastructural aspects of the colonic epithelium in ulcerative colitis

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Title: Ultrastructural aspects of the colonic epithelium in ulcerative colitis
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Article_Title: Ultrastructural aspects of the colonic epithelium in ulcerative colitis
Authors: Ovidiu Frăţilă, Tiberia Iliaş, Teodor Traian Maghiar, Mircea Puşcaşiu, Dana Puşcaşiu
Affiliation: 1 Facultaty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Oradea
2 Oradea Clinical County Hospital
Abstract: Introduction: The colonic epithelium is a barrier between the luminal antigens and the immune
cells from lamina propria. Previously, the colonic mucus layer has been shown to be thinner in ulcerative colitis (UC) than in normal subjects. Aim: To assess ultra structural changes of the rectal epithelium in patients with active/quiescent UC. Methods: Rectal biopsies were taken during endoscopy from patients with UC (n=8) and from healthy subjects (n=8). Pathological assessment of adjacent biopsies was made to determine if patients were normal or suffered from UC (active/quiescent). The specimens for ultra structural investigation were specifically processed and examined with a JEM-1010 transmission electron microscope (JEOL, Tokyo, Japan). Results: Compared with the normal mucosa, in the active UC we observed severe epithelial changes – rarefaction of the goblet cells, depletion/absence of microvillus, destruction of the tight
junctions, vacuolisation and lyses of the cytoplasm, picnosis of the nucleus, alterations of endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, Golgi complexes – resulting in a drastic decrease of mucus formation. In the quiescent UC, the thickness of the epithelium and the goblet-cells were more reduced than in normal, modified microvillus, enlarged intercellular spaces and still alterations of the organdies were seen. Conclusions: The colonic epithelium is compromised in active UC and is only partially restored when UC is in remission. Ultrastructural alterations of the epithelium play an important role in the pathophysiology and relapse of the disease.
Keywords: colonic epithelium, ulcerative colitis, electron microscopy, colonic inflammation
References: Chutkan RK Inflammatory bowel disease, Prim Care 28(3): 539-56, 2001.
Gibson P, Rosella O, Nov R et al. Colonic epithelium is diffusely abnormal in ulcerative colitis and
colorectal cancer. Gut 36(6):857-63, 1995.
Gassler N, Rohr C, Schneider A, Kartenbeck J et al. Inflammatory bowel disease is associated with
changes of enterocytic junctions. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 281(1):G216, 2001.
Gheorghe Liana, Gheorghe C. Bolile inflamatorii intestinale idiopatice. În Gastroenterologie şi
Hepatologie – Actualităţi 2003, Ciurea T, Pascu O, Stanciu C (editori), Editura Medicală Bucureşti, 201-234, 2003.
Kiesslich R, Galle PR, Neurath MF. Endoscopic surveillance in ulcerative colitis: smart biopsies
do it better. Gastroenterology, Sep; 133(3):742-5, 2007.
Kruschewski M, Busch C, Dorner A, Lierse W. Angioarchitecture of the colon in Crohn disease and
ulcerative colitis. Light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy studies with reference to the morphology of the healthy large intestine. Langenbecks Arch Chir 380(5):253-9, 1995.
Kucharzik T, Walsh SV, Chen J. Neutrophil transmigration in inflammatory bowel disease is
associated with differential expression of epithelial intercellular junction proteins. Am J
Pathol 159(6):2001-9, 2001.
Lapidus A. The changing epidemiology of inflammatory bowel diseases. Acta Gastroenterol Belg 64(2):155-9, 2001.
McLaren WJ, Anikijenko P, Thomas SG et al. In vivo detection of morphological and microvascular
changes of the colon in association with colitis using fiberoptic confocal imaging (FOCI). Dig
Dis Sci 47(11):2424-33, 2002.
Nagy F. Colitis ulcerosa, Orv Hetil. Hungarian, 148(20):954-6, May 20 , 2007.
Odze R. Diagnostic problems and advances in inflammatory bowel disease. Mod Pathol 16(4):347-58, 2003.
Scaldaferri F, Fiocchi C. Inflammatory bowel disease: progress and current concepts of
etiopathogenesis. Journal of Digestive Diseases, 8(4):171-8, 2007.
Ugljesic M. Endoscopy in inflammatory bowel disease. Acta Chir Iugosl 47(1-2):25-9, 2000.
Utsumi Y, Wakasa H, Abe M. Morphologic features of ulcerative colitis. Nippon Rinsho 57(11):2426- 31, 1999.
Read_full_article: pdf/18-2008/SU08Fratila2.pdf
Correspondence: Assoc. Prof. Ovidiu Frăţilă, University of Oradea, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, 3rd Medical
Clinic, Pasteur Str. No. 2, 410149 Oradea, Romania, tel. +40-(259)-416661, email: ovidiuf@rdslink.ro

Read full article
Article Title: Ultrastructural aspects of the colonic epithelium in ulcerative colitis
Authors: Ovidiu Frăţilă, Tiberia Iliaş, Teodor Traian Maghiar, Mircea Puşcaşiu, Dana Puşcaşiu
Affiliation: 1 Facultaty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Oradea
2 Oradea Clinical County Hospital
Abstract: Introduction: The colonic epithelium is a barrier between the luminal antigens and the immune
cells from lamina propria. Previously, the colonic mucus layer has been shown to be thinner in ulcerative colitis (UC) than in normal subjects. Aim: To assess ultra structural changes of the rectal epithelium in patients with active/quiescent UC. Methods: Rectal biopsies were taken during endoscopy from patients with UC (n=8) and from healthy subjects (n=8). Pathological assessment of adjacent biopsies was made to determine if patients were normal or suffered from UC (active/quiescent). The specimens for ultra structural investigation were specifically processed and examined with a JEM-1010 transmission electron microscope (JEOL, Tokyo, Japan). Results: Compared with the normal mucosa, in the active UC we observed severe epithelial changes – rarefaction of the goblet cells, depletion/absence of microvillus, destruction of the tight
junctions, vacuolisation and lyses of the cytoplasm, picnosis of the nucleus, alterations of endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, Golgi complexes – resulting in a drastic decrease of mucus formation. In the quiescent UC, the thickness of the epithelium and the goblet-cells were more reduced than in normal, modified microvillus, enlarged intercellular spaces and still alterations of the organdies were seen. Conclusions: The colonic epithelium is compromised in active UC and is only partially restored when UC is in remission. Ultrastructural alterations of the epithelium play an important role in the pathophysiology and relapse of the disease.
Keywords: colonic epithelium, ulcerative colitis, electron microscopy, colonic inflammation
References: Chutkan RK Inflammatory bowel disease, Prim Care 28(3): 539-56, 2001.
Gibson P, Rosella O, Nov R et al. Colonic epithelium is diffusely abnormal in ulcerative colitis and
colorectal cancer. Gut 36(6):857-63, 1995.
Gassler N, Rohr C, Schneider A, Kartenbeck J et al. Inflammatory bowel disease is associated with
changes of enterocytic junctions. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 281(1):G216, 2001.
Gheorghe Liana, Gheorghe C. Bolile inflamatorii intestinale idiopatice. În Gastroenterologie şi
Hepatologie – Actualităţi 2003, Ciurea T, Pascu O, Stanciu C (editori), Editura Medicală Bucureşti, 201-234, 2003.
Kiesslich R, Galle PR, Neurath MF. Endoscopic surveillance in ulcerative colitis: smart biopsies
do it better. Gastroenterology, Sep; 133(3):742-5, 2007.
Kruschewski M, Busch C, Dorner A, Lierse W. Angioarchitecture of the colon in Crohn disease and
ulcerative colitis. Light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy studies with reference to the morphology of the healthy large intestine. Langenbecks Arch Chir 380(5):253-9, 1995.
Kucharzik T, Walsh SV, Chen J. Neutrophil transmigration in inflammatory bowel disease is
associated with differential expression of epithelial intercellular junction proteins. Am J
Pathol 159(6):2001-9, 2001.
Lapidus A. The changing epidemiology of inflammatory bowel diseases. Acta Gastroenterol Belg 64(2):155-9, 2001.
McLaren WJ, Anikijenko P, Thomas SG et al. In vivo detection of morphological and microvascular
changes of the colon in association with colitis using fiberoptic confocal imaging (FOCI). Dig
Dis Sci 47(11):2424-33, 2002.
Nagy F. Colitis ulcerosa, Orv Hetil. Hungarian, 148(20):954-6, May 20 , 2007.
Odze R. Diagnostic problems and advances in inflammatory bowel disease. Mod Pathol 16(4):347-58, 2003.
Scaldaferri F, Fiocchi C. Inflammatory bowel disease: progress and current concepts of
etiopathogenesis. Journal of Digestive Diseases, 8(4):171-8, 2007.
Ugljesic M. Endoscopy in inflammatory bowel disease. Acta Chir Iugosl 47(1-2):25-9, 2000.
Utsumi Y, Wakasa H, Abe M. Morphologic features of ulcerative colitis. Nippon Rinsho 57(11):2426- 31, 1999.
*Correspondence: Assoc. Prof. Ovidiu Frăţilă, University of Oradea, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, 3rd Medical
Clinic, Pasteur Str. No. 2, 410149 Oradea, Romania, tel. +40-(259)-416661, email: ovidiuf@rdslink.ro