title: Tumour necrosis factor-alpha expression in segmental colitis associated with diverticulosis down-regulates after treatment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) expression may be increased in segmental colitis associated with diverticulosis (SCAD). Our aim was to assess TNF-α expression in SCAD in relationship to the treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  10 patients affected by severe (type B and D) SCAD were studied (6 males, 4 females, mean age 60.54 years, range 43-85 years). All patients were treated with beclomethasone dipropionate 10 mg/day plus a probiotic preparation VSL#3 for 8 weeks. At that time, clinical, endoscopic and histological reassessment was performed. Controls were 5 patients with active ulcerative colitis (UC).
  
  
  RESULTS
  After treatment, all SCAD B and no SCAD D patients were in remission. The TNF-α expression dropped from 42.7% (+/-7.58) to 15.7% (+/-2.6) in SCAD B patients (p=0.001), and from 40% (+/-5.9) to 28.6% (+/-5.3) in SCAD D patients (p=0.005). In UC patients, the TNF-α expression dropped from 45.5% (+/-5.09) to 22.5% (+/-2.5) (p=0.001). Neither SCAD B nor SCAD D patients showed a significant difference in TNF-α expression compared to UC after treatment. Finally, TNF-α was significantly overexpressed in SCAD D than in SCAD B at the end of treatment (p=0.048).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TNF-α expression in SCAD down regulates after treatment, and seems to be related to the clinical response to therapy. This behaviour, similar to that of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD), confirms that this disease should be considered as a subtype of IBD.
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology Service, ASL BAT, Andria, BT, Italy. antotursi@tiscali.it
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tursi
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Elisei
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brandimarte
authors.forename: Gian Marco
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Giorgetti
authors.forename: Cosimo Damiano
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Inchingolo
authors.forename: Rosanna
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nenna
authors.forename: Enzo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ierardi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001507:Beclomethasone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001706:Biopsy; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003092:Colitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D003106:Colon / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D003113:Colonoscopy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D043963:Diverticulosis, Colonic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019936:Probiotics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012074:Remission Induction; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D001507:Beclomethasone