Skip to main content
PMC home page
Gut logoLink to Gut
. 1980 Nov;21(11):941–947. doi: 10.1136/gut.21.11.941

Immunoglobulin containing cells in inflammatory bowel disease of the colon: a morphometric and immunohistochemical study.

P C Rosekrans, C J Meijer, A M van der Wal, C J Cornelisse, J Lindeman
PMCID: PMC1419283  PMID: 7450559

Abstract

Immunoglobulin containing cells in rectal and sigmoid colonic mucosa in endoscopically obtained biopsies from 10 patients with ulcerative colitis and 10 patients with Crohn's disease were studied, using an indirect immunoperoxidase technique. These findings were compared with the immunoglobulin containing cell number in colonic biopsies from 10 control patients with no evidence of colitis. In biopsies from the 20 patients with inflammatory bowel disease a marked increase in area of the lamina propria per millimetre mucosa length was found. In ulcerative colitis a marked increase in number of IgG containing cells was observed. In Crohn's disease the increase in IgG containing cell number is dependent on the degree of activity of inflammation. In quiescent of active Crohn's disease of the colon we found a significant increase of the IgM containing cells. The number of IgM containing cells per millimetre mucosa length will differentiate the pathology of Crohn's disease from ulcerative colitis.

Full text

PDF

Images in this article

942Fig. 1
on p.942
943Fig. 2a - 2d
on p.943
944Fig. 2e - 2h
on p.944

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Baklien K., Brandtzaeg P. Comparative mapping of the local distribution of immunoglobulin-containing cells in ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease of the colon. Clin Exp Immunol. 1975 Nov;22(2):197–209. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Baklien K., Brandtzaeg P. Immunohistochemical characterization of local immunoglobulin formation in Crohn's disease of the ileum. Scand J Gastroenterol. 1976;11(5):447–457. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bosman F. T., Lindeman J., Kuiper G., van der Wal A., Kreunig J. The influence of fixation on immunoperoxidase staining of plasmacells in paraffin sections of intestinal biopsy specimens. Histochemistry. 1977 Jul 18;53(1):57–62. doi: 10.1007/BF00511210. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Brandtzaeg P., Baklien K., Fausa O., Hoel P. S. Immunohistochemical characterization of local immunoglobulin formation in ulcerative colitis. Gastroenterology. 1974 Jun;66(6):1123–1136. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Crabbé P. A., Heremans J. F. The distribution of immunoglobulin-containing cells along the human gastrointestinal tract. Gastroenterology. 1966 Sep;51(3):305–316. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Gelzayd E. A., Kraft S. C., Fitch F. W., Kirsner J. B. Distribution of immunoglobulins in human rectal mucosa. II. Ulcerative colitis and abnormal mucosal control subjects. Gastroenterology. 1968 Mar;54(3):341–347. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Green F. H., Fox H. The distribution of mucosal antibodies in the bowel of patients with Crohn's disease. Gut. 1975 Feb;16(2):125–131. doi: 10.1136/gut.16.2.125. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Hijmans W., Schuit H. R., Klein F. An immunofluorescence procedure for the detection of intracellular immunoglobulins. Clin Exp Immunol. 1969 Apr;4(4):457–472. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Meijer C. J., Bosman F. T., Lindeman J. Evidence for predominant involvement of the B-cell system in the inflammatory process in Crohn's disease. Scand J Gastroenterol. 1979;14(1):21–32. doi: 10.3109/00365527909179842. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Meuwissen S. G., Feltkamp-Vroom T. M., De La Rivière A. B., Von Dem Borne A. E., Tytgat G. N. Analysis of the lympho-plasmacytic infiltrate in Crohn's disease with special reference to identification of lymphocyte-subpopulations. Gut. 1976 Oct;17(10):770–780. doi: 10.1136/gut.17.10.770. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. O'Donoghue D. P., Kumar P. Rectal IgE cells in inflammatory bowel disease. Gut. 1979 Feb;20(2):149–153. doi: 10.1136/gut.20.2.149. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Rosekrans P. C., Meijer C. J., Cornelisse C. J., van der Wal A. M., Lindeman J. Use of morphometry and immunohistochemistry of small intestinal biopsy specimens in the diagnosis of food allergy. J Clin Pathol. 1980 Feb;33(2):125–130. doi: 10.1136/jcp.33.2.125. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Skinner J. M., Whitehead R. The plasma cells in inflammatory disease of the colon: a quantitative study. J Clin Pathol. 1974 Aug;27(8):643–646. doi: 10.1136/jcp.27.8.643. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Söltoft J., Binder V., Gudmand-Höyer E. Intestinal immunoglobulins in ulcerative colitis. Scand J Gastroenterol. 1973;8(4):293–300. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Gut are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES