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Expression profile of the matricellular protein periostin in paediatric inflammatory bowel disease
Tracy Coelho1,2, Eva Sonnenberg-Riethmacher3,4, Yifang Gao5,6
1Human Genetics and Genomic Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
Insights
Periostin levels are elevated in children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), particularly during remission. This extracellular matrix protein may play a role in mucosal repair alongside inflammation.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology and Immunology
- Extracellular Matrix Biology
Background:
- The role of periostin, an extracellular matrix protein, in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) remains largely undefined.
- Understanding periostin's function is crucial for developing targeted therapies for IBD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate periostin's role in pediatric IBD, examining its association with disease activity, clinical outcomes, genetic variations, and colonic tissue expression.
- To explore the potential involvement of periostin in mucosal repair mechanisms within the context of IBD.
Main Methods:
- Plasma periostin levels were quantified using ELISA in 144 pediatric IBD patients and 38 controls.
- Immunofluorescence and detailed isoform expression analysis of periostin were conducted on colonic tissue from 23 individuals.
- A whole-gene burden metric, 'GenePy', was employed to assess the impact of variations in POSTN and related genes.
Main Results:
- Plasma periostin levels were significantly higher in patients during remission compared to active Crohn's disease.
- Immunofluorescence revealed enhanced peri-cryptal ring patterns of periostin in IBD patients, irrespective of macroscopic inflammation.
- Periostin isoform patterns remained consistent between inflamed and non-inflamed colonic tissues and healthy controls.
Conclusions:
- Periostin is elevated in pediatric IBD and may contribute to inflammatory processes.
- The consistent peri-cryptal expression suggests a potential role for periostin in mucosal repair, independent of active inflammation.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate periostin's comprehensive role in IBD pathogenesis, repair, and fibrosis.
Abstract:
The precise role of periostin, an extra-cellular matrix protein, in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is unclear. Here, we investigated periostin in paediatric IBD including its relationship with disease activity, clinical outcomes, genomic variation and expression in the colonic tissue. Plasma periostin was analysed using ELISA in 144 paediatric patients and 38 controls. Plasma levels were assessed against validated disease activity indices in IBD and clinical outcomes. An immuno-fluorescence for periostin and detailed isoform-expression analysis in the colonic tissue was performed in 23 individuals. We integrated a whole-gene based burden metric 'GenePy' to assess the impact of variation in POSTN and 23 other genes functionally connected to periostin. We found that plasma periostin levels were significantly increased during remission compared to active Crohn's disease. The immuno-fluorescence analysis demonstrated enhanced peri-cryptal ring patterns in patients compared to controls, present throughout inflamed, as well as macroscopically non-inflamed colonic tissue. Interestingly, the pattern of isoforms remained unchanged during bowel inflammation compared to healthy controls. In addition to its role during the inflammatory processes in IBD, periostin may have an additional prominent role in mucosal repair. Additional studies will be necessary to understand its role in the pathogenesis, repair and fibrosis in IBD.
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