Mycobacterium paratuberculosis in intestinal tissue from patients with Crohn's disease demonstrated by a nested primer polymerase chain reaction.
BACKGROUND
The etiology of Crohn's disease remains unknown, but current research has concentrated on autoimmunity and/or mycobacterial infection. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) enables the detection of genetic material even when very few microorganisms are present.


METHODS
A nested primer PCR for detection of a multi-copy insertional element (IS900) specific for Mycobacterium paratuberculosis was applied to DNA extracted from fresh and from paraffin-embedded intestinal tissue obtained from patients undergoing surgery.


RESULTS
In fresh intestinal tissue from 11 of 24 patients with Crohn's disease, from 2 of 10 patients with ulcerative colitis, and from 3 of 28 patients with other colonic disorders, specific M. paratuberculosis DNA was found. In paraffin-embedded Crohn's disease tissue the presence of specific M. paratuberculosis DNA was also increased.


CONCLUSIONS
Whether the presence of M. paratuberculosis is connected to the inflammatory bowel disease or is a mere coincidence cannot be stated. We find this presence interesting and encouraging for further investigations.
Dept. of Clinical Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Herlev Hospital, Denmark.
G
G
Lisby
J
J
Andersen
K
K
Engbaek
V
V
Binder
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001483:Base Sequence; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D003106:Colon / Q000382:microbiology*; D003108:Colonic Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007082:Ileum / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016927:Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016612:Paraffin Embedding; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use
D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D011239:Prednisolone