Table 3.

Scoring system for DSS-induced histological changes in the caecum

	Morphological features			Inflammation
	Villous stunting	Villous epithelial injury	Crypt distortion	Intraepithelial lymphocytes	LP lymphocytes and plasma cells	LP eosinophils
1	Normal mucosa	Normal mucosa	Normal mucosa	5–10/50 IEL/epithelial cells	25% of the villous lamina propria	2–3 cells per × 40 field
2	Mild villous stunting	Mild villous epithelial injury	Mild crypt distension, hyperplasia and distortion	11–30 IEL/50 epithelial cells.	25–50% of the villous lamina propria	5–10 per × 40 field.
3	Moderate villous stunting	Moderate villous epithelial injury	Moderate crypt distension, hyperplasia and distortion.	31–50 IEL/50 epithelial cells may be focally clustered.	50–75% of the villous lamina propria.	10–20 per × 40 field.
4	Marked villous stunting	Marked villous epithelial injury	Marked crypt distension, hyperplasia and distortion	51–100 IEL/50 epithelial cells, may be clustered and at all levels of the epithelium	75–100% of the villous lamina propria.	> 20 per × 40 field