Decreased mucosal interleukin-4 (IL-4) production in gut inflammation.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of cells secreting interleukin-4 (IL-4) in the gut mucosa of children with chronic inflammatory bowel disease.


METHODS
Mononuclear cells were isolated from intestinal biopsy specimens from control children (n = 10) and children with active inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease n = 15, ulcerative colitis n = 9, indeterminate colitis n = 3). Spontaneous IL-4 production was then measured by SPOT-enzyme linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) using a pair of non-competing anti-IL-4 monoclonal antibodies. The percentage of T cells in the isolated cells were also determined and the prevalence of IL-4 secreting cells calculated per 10,000 T cells.


RESULTS
In control children the mean number of IL-4 secreting cells was 15.1 per 10,000 T cells. In Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis the means were 5.3 and 5.2, respectively. In two children with indeterminate colitis numbers were also low. There was no difference in the percentage of T cells in the cell preparations isolated from each patient group. The reduction of IL-4 secreting cells in patients with Crohn's disease was not caused by steroids.


CONCLUSIONS
In idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease IL-4 secreting cells are reduced in diseased mucosa.
Karttunnen
R
R
Department of Paediatric Gastroenterology, St Bartholomew's Hospital, London.
Breese
E J
EJ
Walker-Smith
J A
JA
MacDonald
T T
TT
D000293:Adolescent; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003092:Colitis / Q000276:immunology; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000276:immunology; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000276:immunology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D013256:Steroids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D013256:Steroids; D015847:Interleukin-4