title: Mucosal subclass distribution of immunoglobulin G-producing cells is different in ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease of the colon.
abstract: As a marked local immunoglobulin G (IgG) response has previously been found to be the most prominent immunopathological feature of both ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, the subclass distribution of colonic IgG-producing immunocytes was examined. This study included tissue specimens from 10 patients with ulcerative colitis and 8 with Crohn's colitis. Paired immunofluorescence staining was performed with subclass-specific murine monoclonal antibodies combined with a rabbit antibody reagent of IgG; the proportion of cells belonging to each subclass could thereby be determined in relation to the total number of mucosal IgG immunocytes. A significantly higher median proportion of IgG1 immunocytes was found in ulcerative colitis (81.3%) than in Crohn's colitis (66.5%). Conversely, the median proportion of IgG2 immunocytes was significantly higher in Crohn's colitis (24.9%) than in ulcerative colitis (9.4%). This disparity in the local IgG subclass response might reflect dissimilar mucosal exposure to mitogenetic or antigenic stimuli or genetically determined immunoregulatory differences in the two categories of patients.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Immunohistochemistry and Immunopathology, University of Oslo, National Hospital, Norway.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kett
authors.forename: T O
authors.initials: TO
authors.lastname: Rognum
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brandtzaeg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000921:Antibody-Producing Cells / Q000145:classification*; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000209:etiology*; D003106:Colon / Q000473:pathology; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000145:classification; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G