title: Immunohistochemical search for viral and bacterial antigens in Crohn's disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent studies show that diseased intestinal tissues of patients with Crohn's disease (CD) contain obstructed lymphatics, granulomas, and tertiary lymphoid organs, representing responses to persistent antigen.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-seven tissue sections from 28 CD patients and 20 tissue sections from 17 control patients were studied. Tissues were immunostained with antibody directed against adenovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, herpes simplex virus I, parvovirus B19, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, Clostridium perfringens, and Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no evidence of adenovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, parvovirus B19, or M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis in the tissues. Clostridia were positively stained in the mucus of 18.5% of CD patients versus 35.3% of controls and in the tissue of 11.1% of CD patients but in no controls. Immunoreactivity to listeria antibody occurred in the mucus of 3.7% of CD patients and in 5.9% of controls while it occurred in the tissue of 37.0% of CD patients and 29.4% of controls. E. coli occurred in the mucus of 48.1% CD and 64.7% controls and in the tissue of 18.5% and 5.9% respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Of the agents demonstrated in this search, none was located in granulomas or inflamed lymphatics. Finding the common gut microbes, E. coli and clostridia, in the mucus of patients and controls was not unexpected. The minor focal staining of E. coli and clostridia does not suggest a primary role for these pathogens in CD. Positive staining for listeria in patients and controls may very well represent cross reactivity rather than specific identification.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, The University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States. William.Magin@gmail.com
authors.forename: William S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Magin
authors.forename: Herbert J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Van Kruiningen
authors.forename: Jean-Frédéric
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Colombel
mesh_terms: D000256:Adenoviridae / Q000276:immunology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D003016:Clostridium perfringens / Q000276:immunology; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000821:virology*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D018259:Herpesvirus 1, Human / Q000276:immunology; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008089:Listeria monocytogenes / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016927:Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis / Q000276:immunology; D016732:Parvovirus B19, Human / Q000276:immunology; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D000956:Antigens, Viral