Colonic subepithelial collagenous thickening in diabetic patients.
OBJECTIVE
This study was designed to investigate the effect of intestinal subepithelial collagenous thickening on diabetic diarrhea because one of the seven patients diagnosed with collagenous colitis was diabetic.


METHODS
Rectosigmoidoscopic rectal biopsies were taken from 50 diabetic patients (8 with and 42 without diarrhea), 20 nondiabetic patients with diarrhea, and 10 healthy patients. Histopathologic examinations and measurements of subepithelial collagen layers were performed on these biopsies.


RESULTS
In diabetic patients who had diarrhea, the subepithelial collagen layer (SCL) was thicker than it was in diabetics without diarrhea (P < 0.05). In diabetic groups, the SCL was thicker than it was in both nondiabetics with diarrhea and those without diarrhea (P < 0.05). There was no statistical difference between nondiabetics with diarrhea and those without (P > 0.05). There was no correlation between collagen thickness, age, and diabetes duration (P > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
It was concluded that there was a thickening of the colonic SCL in diabetic patients.
Kandemir
O
O
Department of Pathology, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey.
Utas
C
C
Gönen
O
O
Patiroglu
T E
TE
Ozbakir
O
O
Kelestimur
F
F
Yücesoy
M
M
D003092:Colitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology*; D003094:Collagen; D003106:Colon / Q000473:pathology*; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000473:pathology*; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male
D003094:Collagen