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Circulating cell-derived microparticles in Crohn's disease
Patrick Chamouard1, Dominique Desprez, Bénédicte Hugel
1Service d'Hepato-Gastroentérologie, et d'Assistance Nutritive, Hôpital de Hautepierre, 67098 Strasbourg Cedex, France. Patrick.Chamouard@chru-strasbourg.fr
Digestive Diseases and Sciences
|April 7, 2005
Summary
Circulating microparticles are elevated in Crohn's disease and infectious colitis. Infliximab therapy significantly reduces these microparticle levels in Crohn's disease patients, suggesting a link to inflammatory responses.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Immunology
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Procoagulant membrane microparticles are released from activated or apoptotic cells.
- These microparticles are implicated in various environmental stimuli and cellular processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the presence and levels of circulating microparticles in Crohn's disease (CD).
- To assess the impact of infliximab therapy on microparticle levels in CD patients.
Main Methods:
- Compared microparticle levels in CD patients, ulcerative colitis patients, infectious colitis patients, and healthy controls.
- Assessed changes in microparticle levels after infliximab treatment in CD patients.
Main Results:
- Elevated circulating microparticle levels were observed in CD and infectious colitis compared to ulcerative colitis and controls (P = 0.001).
- Infliximab therapy significantly reduced microparticle levels in CD patients (from 10.33+/-1.20 to 6.45+/-0.90 nmol/L PS Eq; P = 0.002).
Conclusions:
- Microparticle generation occurs in Crohn's disease.
- Infliximab treatment leads to a significant decrease in circulating microparticles.
- Microparticle release may be associated with the specific inflammatory response in Crohn's disease.