Loss of interleukin 33 expression in colonic crypts - a potential marker for disease remission in ulcerative colitis

Sci Rep. 2016 Oct 17:6:35403. doi: 10.1038/srep35403.

Abstract

Interleukin 33 (IL-33) is a cytokine preferentially elevated in acute ulcerative colitis (UC), inferring a role in its pathogenesis. The role of IL-33 in intestinal inflammation is incompletely understood, with both pro-inflammatory and regulatory properties described. There are also conflicting reports on cellular sources and subcellular location of IL-33 in the colonic mucosa, justifying a closer look at IL-33 expression in well-defined clinical stages of UC. A total of 50 study participants (29 UC patients and 21 healthy controls) were included from a prospective cohort of inflammatory bowel disease patients treated to disease remission with infliximab, a tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF) inhibitor. To our knowledge this is the first study examining mucosal IL-33 expression before and after anti-TNF therapy. In colonic mucosal biopsies we found a 3-fold increase in IL-33 gene expression comparing acute UC to healthy controls (p < 0.01). A significant reduction of IL33 between acute UC and disease remission was observed when TNF normalised in the mucosa (p = 0.02). Immunostaining revealed IL-33 in the nuclei of epithelial cells of scattered colonic crypts in acute disease, while at disease remission, IL-33 was undetectable, a novel finding suggesting that enterocyte-derived IL-33 is induced and maintained by inflammatory mediators.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Biomarkers
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Colitis, Ulcerative / drug therapy
  • Colitis, Ulcerative / genetics*
  • Colitis, Ulcerative / metabolism
  • Colitis, Ulcerative / pathology
  • Female
  • Gene Expression*
  • Humans
  • Immunologic Factors / pharmacology
  • Immunologic Factors / therapeutic use
  • Interleukin-33 / genetics*
  • Interleukin-33 / metabolism
  • Intestinal Mucosa / metabolism*
  • Intestinal Mucosa / pathology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / metabolism

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • Immunologic Factors
  • Interleukin-33
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha