Ontogeny and prenatal expression of trefoil factor 3/ITF in the human intestine.
BACKGROUND
Trefoil factor 3 (TFF3) or intestinal trefoil factor (ITF), a peptide normally expressed and secreted by goblet cells at the mucosal surface of the small intestine and colon, is important for the maintenance and repair of the intestinal mucosal barrier.


OBJECTIVE
To study the ontogeny and developmental expression of TFF3 in human intestine.


METHODS
We examined TFF3 expression in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded intestinal tissues from 24 fetuses (gestational age [GA] 12-23 weeks) and 5 adults by immunohistochemical staining. To determine whether TFF3 is excreted into the fetal intestinal tract, first-passed meconium samples were collected from 43 newborn infants (gestational age 24-41 weeks). The presence of TFF3 was examined by Western blot analysis and the relative levels of TFF3 in the meconium were quantified with a slot blot assay.


RESULTS
TFF3 can be detected by immunohistochemistry in human intestine as early as 12 weeks gestation. TFF3 is present in the meconium of newborn infants; no significant difference exists in TFF3 levels in the meconium of premature infants with birth weight (BW) less than 1500 g compared to those with birth weight equal to or more than 1500 g.


CONCLUSIONS
Premature infant's susceptibility to intestinal mucosal injury is unlikely to be explained by developmental expression of TFF3 in human intestine since secreted TFF3 is not deficient in premature infants.
Lin
Jing
J
Jack and Lucy Clark Department of Pediatrics, Division of Newborn Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Box 1508, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029-6574, USA. jing.lin@mssm.edu
Nadroo
Ali M
AM
Chen
Wei
W
Holzman
Ian R
IR
Fan
Qiu-Xiang
QX
Babyatsky
Mark W
MW
D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000737:chemistry / Q000196:embryology; D007422:Intestines / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000196:embryology* / Q000254:growth & development; D016014:Linear Models; D008470:Meconium / Q000737:chemistry; D009077:Mucins / Q000032:analysis*; D009124:Muscle Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D010455:Peptides; D000071165:Trefoil Factor-3
D009077:Mucins; D009124:Muscle Proteins; D010455:Peptides; C082495:TFF3 protein, human; D000071165:Trefoil Factor-3