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. 2000 Mar;59(3):211–216. doi: 10.1136/ard.59.3.211

Subclinical gut inflammation in spondyloarthropathy patients is associated with upregulation of the E-cadherin/catenin complex

P Demetter 1, D Baeten 1, F De Keyser 1, M De Vos 1, N Van Damme 1, G Verbruggen 1, S Vermeulen 1, M Mareel 1, D Elewaut 1, H Mielants 1, E Veys 1, C Cuvelier 1
PMCID: PMC1753082  PMID: 10700430

Abstract

OBJECTIVE—Previously an upregulation of E-cadherin and its associated molecules α-catenin, β-catenin and plakoglobin has been demonstrated in clinically overt inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of the E-cadherin/catenin complex in subclinically inflamed bowel mucosa from spondyloarthropathy (SpA) patients.
METHODS—Ileal and colonic biopsy specimens from 19 SpA patients with subclinical inflammatory gut lesions and from seven controls were stained with monoclonal antibodies against E-cadherin, β-catenin and plakoglobin and a polyclonal antibody against α-catenin. E-cadherin mRNA was detected using a riboprobe. Inflammation was histologically classified into acute, chronic active and chronic quiescent forms.
RESULTS—In acute and chronic active bowel inflammation of SpA patients, upregulation of the E-cadherin/catenin glycoprotein complex could be observed. Chronic lesions in a quiescent state did not show such an upregulation. Furthermore, chronic inflammation was associated with an increase in E-cadherin mRNA.
CONCLUSIONS—As some of the SpA patients with subclinical gut inflammation develop IBD, upregulation of the E-cadherin/catenin complex in inflamed bowel mucosa from SpA patients may point to early cellular changes in the development of IBD. However, at present it cannot be excluded that increased E-cadherin/catenin complex expression is a bystander phenomenon of active inflammation.



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Figure 1  .

Figure 1  

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E-cadherin/catenin immunoreactivity in normal and subclinically inflamed bowel mucosa. (a): Weak α-catenin expression in non-inflamed ileum. (b): Acute ileitis showing strong expression of α-catenin in all cells of the villi. (c): Focal upregulation of E-cadherin in villus epithelial cells in chronic active ileitis. (d): β-catenin immunoreactivity in villus and crypt cells in chronic active ileitis. (a) and (c) Bar = 40 µm; (b) and (d) bar = 25 µm.

Figure 2  .

Figure 2  

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E-cadherin mRNA in situ hybridisation. (a): Strong positivity in chronic quiescent ileitis. (b): Focal upregulation in chronic quiescent ileitis. (c): Absence of detectable expression in normal colon. (a), (b) and (c) Bar = 25 µm.

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