title: Mucosal expression of basic fibroblastic growth factor, syndecan 1 and tumour necrosis factor-α in Crohn's disease in deep remission under treatment with anti-TNFα antibodies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Both inflammation and fibrosis may be detected in Crohn's disease (CD). The molecular pattern of Basic Fibroblastic Growth Factor (bFGF) and Syndecan-1 (SD1) expression is altered in stenosing CD, but we do not know what the behaviour of this teamwork factor is in CD in deep remission under treatment with anti-TNFα antibodies. Our aim was to compare the expression of bFGF, SD1 and TNF-α in patients with CD in deep remission under treatment with Infliximab (IFX) or Adalimumab (ADA) and a control group of patients with active CD.
  
  
  METHODS
  We assessed the expression of bFGF, SD1 and TNF-α in 10 patients with active CD and in 28 patients with CD in sustained deep remission for at least 6 months. All patients underwent surveillance colonoscopy with biopsies, while receiving maintenance therapy with IFX or ADA. Analysis was conducted by real-time reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) in biopsy samples.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that bFGF, SD1 and TNF-α were significantly reduced under treatment with anti-TNFα versus controls (p=0.000). bFGF and SD1 expression were similar between IFX and ADA patients (p=0.335 and p=0.289, respectively), while TNF-α was significantly under-expressed in ADA patients (p=0.008).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  bFGF, SD1 and TNF-α are significantly reduced in CD patients in deep remission under treatment with anti-TNFα, likely as an expression of optimal control of inflammation. The significance of the TNF-α under-expression in patients under treatment with ADA with respect to those under treatment with IFX should be elucidated in further studies.
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology Service, ASL BAT, Andria (BT), Italy. antotursi@tiscali.it.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tursi
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, ASL Roma H, Albano Laziale (Roma), Italy.
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Elisei
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Sciences and Organ Transplantation, Section of Gastroenterology, University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Mariabeatrice
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Principi
authors.affiliation: Division of Pathology, Lorenzo Bonomo Hospital, ASL BAT, Andria (BT), Italy.
authors.forename: Cosimo Damiano
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Inchingolo
authors.affiliation: Division of Pathology, Lorenzo Bonomo Hospital, ASL BAT, Andria (BT), Italy.
authors.forename: Rosanna
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nenna
authors.affiliation: Division of Surgery, Paolo Colombo Hospital, ASL Roma H, Velletri (Roma), Italy.
authors.forename: Marcello
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Picchio
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Sciences and Organ Transplantation, Section of Gastroenterology, University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Floriana
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Giorgio
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Sciences and Organ Transplantation, Section of Gastroenterology, University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Enzo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ierardi
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Cristo Re Hospital, Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brandimarte
mesh_terms: D000068879:Adalimumab; D000328:Adult; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001706:Biopsy; D003106:Colon / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D003113:Colonoscopy; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D000069285:Infliximab; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012074:Remission Induction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D053668:Syndecan-1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents; C508241:SDC1 protein, human; D053668:Syndecan-1; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D000069285:Infliximab; D000068879:Adalimumab