Increased expression of serum- and glucocorticoid-regulated kinase-1 in the duodenal mucosa of children with coeliac disease.
OBJECTIVE
Enterocyte apoptosis induced by activated intraepithelial lymphocytes is increased in coeliac disease (CD). Serum- and glucocorticoid-regulated kinase-1 (SGK1) is a serine/threonine protein kinase that may inhibit apoptosis and compensate for the excessive death of surface epithelial cells. The significance of SGK1 in CD is elusive so far. The aim of this study was to characterise the expression and localisation of SGK1 in duodenal biopsy samples taken from children with untreated CD, children with treated CD, and controls.


METHODS
Duodenal biopsy specimens were collected from 16 children with untreated CD, 9 children with treated CD, and 10 controls. The mRNA expression of SGK1 was determined by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. SGK1 and phosphorylated (P)-SGK1 protein levels and their localisation were determined by Western blot and immunofluorescent staining, respectively.


RESULTS
We found increased SGK1-mRNA expression as well as higher SGK1 and P-SGK1 protein levels in the duodenal mucosa of children with untreated CD compared with controls. In the duodenal mucosa of children with treated CD, SGK1-mRNA expression was decreased and SGK1 and P-SGK1 protein levels were lower than in untreated CD. SGK1 and P-SGK1 staining intensity was stronger in duodenal villous enterocytes of children with untreated CD compared with treated CD.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results of increased expression of SGK1 in untreated CD may suggest its contribution to the enterocyte survival in this disease.
Szebeni
Beáta
B
Research Group for Pediatrics and Nephrology, Semmelweis University and Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Bókay J. u. 53-54, Budapest, Hungary. szebeni@gyer1.sote.hu
Vannay
Adám
A
Sziksz
Erna
E
Prókai
Agnes
A
Cseh
Aron
A
Veres
Gábor
G
Dezsofi
Antal
A
Gyorffy
Hajnalka
H
Szabó
I R Korponay
IR
Arató
András
A
D000293:Adolescent; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004386:Duodenum / Q000378:metabolism*; D020895:Enterocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D010766:Phosphorylation; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D000099184:Serum-Glucocorticoid Regulated Kinases
D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000099184:Serum-Glucocorticoid Regulated Kinases