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. 2000 Mar;59(3):211-6.
doi: 10.1136/ard.59.3.211.

Subclinical gut inflammation in spondyloarthropathy patients is associated with upregulation of the E-cadherin/catenin complex

P Demetter  1 , D Baeten, F De Keyser, M De Vos, N Van Damme, G Verbruggen, S Vermeulen, M Mareel, D Elewaut, H Mielants, E M Veys, C A Cuvelier
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Subclinical gut inflammation in spondyloarthropathy patients is associated with upregulation of the E-cadherin/catenin complex

P Demetter et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2000 Mar.

Erratum in

  • Ann Rheum Dis 2000 May;59(5):400

Abstract

Objective: Previously an upregulation of E-cadherin and its associated molecules alpha-catenin, beta-catenin and plakoglobin has been demonstrated in clinically overt inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of the E-cadherin/catenin complex in subclinically inflamed bowel mucosa from spondyloarthropathy (SpA) patients.

Methods: Ileal and colonic biopsy specimens from 19 SpA patients with subclinical inflammatory gut lesions and from seven controls were stained with monoclonal antibodies against E-cadherin, beta-catenin and plakoglobin and a polyclonal antibody against alpha-catenin. E-cadherin mRNA was detected using a riboprobe. Inflammation was histologically classified into acute, chronic active and chronic quiescent forms.

Results: In acute and chronic active bowel inflammation of SpA patients, upregulation of the E-cadherin/catenin glycoprotein complex could be observed. Chronic lesions in a quiescent state did not show such an upregulation. Furthermore, chronic inflammation was associated with an increase in E-cadherin mRNA.

Conclusions: As some of the SpA patients with subclinical gut inflammation develop IBD, upregulation of the E-cadherin/catenin complex in inflamed bowel mucosa from SpA patients may point to early cellular changes in the development of IBD. However, at present it cannot be excluded that increased E-cadherin/catenin complex expression is a bystander phenomenon of active inflammation.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
E-cadherin/catenin immunoreactivity in normal and subclinically inflamed bowel mucosa. (a): Weak α-catenin expression in non-inflamed ileum. (b): Acute ileitis showing strong expression of α-catenin in all cells of the villi. (c): Focal upregulation of E-cadherin in villus epithelial cells in chronic active ileitis. (d): β-catenin immunoreactivity in villus and crypt cells in chronic active ileitis. (a) and (c) Bar = 40 µm; (b) and (d) bar = 25 µm.
Figure 2
Figure 2
E-cadherin mRNA in situ hybridisation. (a): Strong positivity in chronic quiescent ileitis. (b): Focal upregulation in chronic quiescent ileitis. (c): Absence of detectable expression in normal colon. (a), (b) and (c) Bar = 25 µm.
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