title: Enhanced levels of chemokines and their receptors in the colon of microscopic colitis patients indicate mixed immune cell recruitment.
abstract: Microscopic colitis (MC), comprising collagenous colitis (CC) and lymphocytic colitis (LC), is a common cause of chronic diarrhea. Various immune cell infiltrations in the epithelium and lamina propria are seen in MC immunopathology. We compared gene and protein expressions of different immune cell attracting chemokines and their receptors in colon biopsies from MC patients in active disease or histopathological remission (CC/LC-HR) with controls, using qRT-PCR and Luminex, respectively. CC and LC patients with active disease demonstrated a mixed chemokine profile with significantly enhanced gene and/or protein expressions of the chemokines CCL2, CCL3, CCL4, CCL5, CCL7, CCL22, CXCL8, CXCL9, CXCL10, CXCL11, and CX3CL1 and the receptors CCR2, CCR3, CCR4, CXCR1, CXCR2, and CX3CR1. Enhanced chemokine/chemokine receptor gene and protein levels in LC-HR patients were similar to LC patients, whereas CC-HR patients demonstrated almost normalized levels. These findings expand the current understanding of the involvement of various immune cells in MC immunopathology and endorse chemokines as potential diagnostic markers as well as therapeutic candidates. Moreover, this study further supports the hypothesis that CC and LC are two different entities due to differences in their immunoregulatory responses.
authors.affiliation: Örebro University, Department of Biomedicine, School of Health and Medical Sciences, 70182 Örebro, Sweden.
authors.forename: Sezin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Günaltay
authors.affiliation: Örebro University, Department of Biomedicine, School of Health and Medical Sciences, 70182 Örebro, Sweden ; University of Glasgow, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, Glasgow G128TA, UK.
authors.forename: Ashok Kumar
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-2244-9816
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Kumawat
authors.affiliation: Örebro University, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Örebro University Hospital, School of Health and Medical Sciences, 70185 Örebro, Sweden.
authors.forename: Nils
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-0942-0816
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nyhlin
authors.affiliation: Örebro University, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Örebro University Hospital, School of Health and Medical Sciences, 70185 Örebro, Sweden.
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bohr
authors.affiliation: Örebro University, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Örebro University Hospital, School of Health and Medical Sciences, 70185 Örebro, Sweden.
authors.forename: Curt
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-2191-9625
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tysk
authors.affiliation: Örebro University Hospital, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, 70185 Örebro, Sweden.
authors.forename: Olof
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hultgren
authors.affiliation: Örebro University, Department of Biomedicine, School of Health and Medical Sciences, 70182 Örebro, Sweden.
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-5460-8888
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hultgren Hörnquist
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001706:Biopsy; D018925:Chemokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D046730:Colitis, Lymphocytic / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D046728:Colitis, Microscopic / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D003106:Colon / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D003113:Colonoscopy; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D018925:Chemokines; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine