title: Expression of apoptotic epithelial cells in biopsy specimens of patients with colitis.
abstract: We postulated that nuclear dust within the lamina propria beneath the basement membrane of the epithelium in colonic mucosal biopsies of patients with colitis is a form of apoptotic epithelial cells and that its expression correlates with clinical severity. Our aim was to determine the origin of nuclear dust and to explore the correlation between nuclear dust expression and clinicopathologic parameters of colitis. we examined 228 specimens with colitis and 18 normal specimens. The expression rates of nuclear dust were 11.1% (2/18) and 83.8% (191/228) in normal colonic mucosa and colitis, respectively. Cells showing double positive staining with cytokeratin and TdT-mediated uUTP-biotin nick-end labeling technique were apoptotic cells derived from epithelial cells. Nuclear dust expression correlated significantly with inflammation, eosinophil infiltration, edema, and congestion. Our results suggest that interventions directed toward the apoptotic process may be beneficial in the treatment of colitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Pathology, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan. shichijo@net.nagasaki-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Kazuko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shichijo
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Chun-Yang
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakayama
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakashima
authors.forename: Alipov Gabit
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Kaimovich
authors.forename: Mutsumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matsuyama
authors.forename: Ichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sekine
mesh_terms: D000906:Antibodies; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D001706:Biopsy; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000276:immunology; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000473:pathology*; D003092:Colitis / Q000473:pathology*; D003106:Colon / Q000473:pathology*; D004253:DNA Nucleotidylexotransferase; D018450:Disease Progression; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D007633:Keratins; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000473:pathology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D007633:Keratins; D004253:DNA Nucleotidylexotransferase; D053148:Caspase 3