Skip to main content
. 2013 Nov 19;17(12):1525–1536. doi: 10.1111/jcmm.12177

Figure 3.

Figure 3

(A–G and I) Affected ileal specimens from Crohn’s disease (CD) patients. (H) Control ileal specimens. (A, E, F and I) CD34 immunoperoxidase labelling with haematoxylin counterstain. (B–D) Masson’s trichrome staining. (G and H) Double immunofluorescence labelling for CD34 (green) and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) (red). (A and B) Mucosa and submucosa. Severely damaged tissue with a haemorrhagic ulcer. (A) Telocytes (TC) are not visible, while many CD34-positive microvessels are present (arrow). Inset: CD34/CD31 double immunofluorescence labelling with DAPI counterstain. At higher magnification view, many CD34/CD31-positive microvessels are evident. (B) The inflammation extends to the muscularis mucosae and submucosa, with a pattern of incoming fibrosis. (C) Mucosa, muscularis mucosae and submucosa. The thickened and fibrotic muscularis mucosae extends to the circular muscle layer, replacing the normal submucosa. (D) Muscularis mucosae. Muscle cells are disarranged and separated by fibrosis. (E and F) Muscularis mucosae. Most of the TC disappear (E) and the few remaining ones are located among smooth muscle cells (F). Inset: Higher magnification view displaying TC around smooth muscle bundles. (G and H) Submucosa. (G) In affected CD specimens, CD34/α-SMA double immunolabelling highlights the loss of TC and the presence of many α-SMA-positive spindle-shaped myofibroblasts. (H) In control specimens, many CD34-positive TC are present, while myofibroblasts are not detectable. In both CD and control specimens, vascular pericytes display α-SMA positivity (arrowheads). (I) Submucosa. Few or no TC are present around submucosal ganglia (arrows). u: ulcer; mm: muscularis mucosae; SM: submucosa. Scale bars are indicated in each panel.