title: Mucin gene expression in intestinal epithelial cells in Crohn's disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic relapsing inflammatory bowel disease of unknown origin. It is characterised by chronic mucosal ulcerations which affect any part of the intestine but most commonly are found in the ileum and proximal colon.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Studies were undertaken to provide information regarding cell specific expression of mucin genes in the ileum of patients with CD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Expression of mucin genes was analysed in the ileal mucosa of patients with CD and controls by in situ hybridisation and immunohistochemistry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In healthy ileal mucosa, patients with CD showed a pattern identical to normal controls with main expression of MUC2 and MUC3, lesser expression of MUC1 and MUC4, and no expression of MUC5AC, MUC5B, MUC6, or MUC7. In the involved mucosa, the pattern was somewhat comparable although heterogeneous to that observed in healthy ileal mucosa. Importantly, a particular mucin gene expression pattern was observed in ileal mucosa close to the ulcer margins in ulcer associated cell lineage, with the appearance of MUC5AC and MUC6 mRNAs and peptides, which are normally restricted to the stomach (MUC5AC and MUC6) and duodenum (MUC6), and disappearance of MUC2.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that gel forming mucins (more particularly MUC5AC and MUC6) may have a role in epithelial wound healing after mucosal injury in inflammatory bowel diseases in addition to mucosal protection.
authors.affiliation: Unité INSERM No 377, Lille, France. buisine@lille.inserm.fr
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Buisine
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Desreumaux
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Leteurtre
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Copin
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Colombel
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Porchet
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Aubert
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002460:Cell Line; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007082:Ileum / Q000378:metabolism; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009077:Mucins / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D009077:Mucins; D012333:RNA, Messenger