title: Alpha chemokines in Crohn's disease.
abstract: Many studies have shown that chemokine (C-X-C motif) receptor (CXCR)3 and its ligand chemokines, as monokine induced by interferon (IFN)-γ (MIG), interferon-γ inducible protein (IP-10) and IFN-inducible T cell-α chemoattractant (I-TAC), are strongly overexpressed both in the intestinal mucosa of mice with experimental colitis, and in patients with Crohn's disease (CD) in lymphocytes, in macrophages and in epithelial cells. IFN-γ induces CXCR3 and its chemokines expression in epithelial intestinal cells; these chemokines are important for the recruitment of granulocytes and mononuclear cells, thus for the maintenance of inflammation in CD. Serum IP-10 levels might reflect CD disease activity, and it may be a marker for the responsiveness of patients to treatments. However other studies are needed to document the use of IP-10 in clinical setting. Attempts are currently underway to inhibit CXCR3 or its chemokines in CD as a possible therapy of CD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Devito
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D054357:Chemokine CXCL10 / Q000097:blood; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000378:metabolism*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000502:physiology; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D054367:Receptors, CXCR3 / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C114753:CXCL10 protein, human; C515187:CXCR3 protein, human; D054357:Chemokine CXCL10; D054367:Receptors, CXCR3; D007371:Interferon-gamma
keywords: Crohn’s disease; I-TAC; IBD; IP-10; MIG