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Editorial
. 2011 Apr 7;17(13):1666-73.
doi: 10.3748/wjg.v17.i13.1666.

Isolated lymphoid follicles in colon: switch points between inflammation and colorectal cancer?

Ferenc Sipos, Györgyi Muzes
Editorial

Isolated lymphoid follicles in colon: switch points between inflammation and colorectal cancer?

Ferenc Sipos et al. World J Gastroenterol. .

Abstract

Gut-associated lymphoid tissue is supposed to play a central role in both the organization of colonic repair mechanisms and colorectal carcinogenesis. In inflammatory conditions, the number, diameter and density of isolated lymphoid follicles (ILFs) increases. They are not only involved in immune surveillance, but their presence is also indispensable in normal mucosal regeneration of the colon. In carcinogenesis, ILFs may play a dual role. On the one hand they may support tumor growth and the metastatic process by vascular endothelial growth factor receptor signaling and producing a specific cytokine and cellular milieu, but on the other hand their presence is sometimes associated with a better prognosis. The relation of ILFs to bone marrow derived stem cells, follicular dendritic cells, subepithelial myofibroblasts or crypt formation, which are all involved in mucosal repair and carcinogenesis, has not been directly studied. Data about the putative organizer role of ILFs is scattered in scientific literature.

Keywords: Colon; Colorectal cancer; Epithelial stem cell; Epithelial-mesenchymal transition; Follicular dendritic cell; Isolated lymphoid follicle; Mesenchymal-epithelial transition; Mucosal repair; Myofibroblast.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Intraepithelial male donor bone marrow origin CD45-/Y-FISH+ cell (white arrow) and CD45+/Y-FISH+ intraepithelial lymphocyte (red arrow) in the colonic biopsy specimen of a female acceptor. A: Chromosomal detection (green: Y-chromosome, red: X-chromosome; fluorescence in situ hybridization); B: CD45 and cytokeratin (green: cytokeratin, red: CD45; fluorescence immunohistochemistry; 130 × magnification).
Figure 2
Figure 2
3D reconstruction of a human colonic surgical sample (MIRAX Viewer, 3D, 3DHISTECH Ltd., Budapest). A large subepithelial isolated lymphoid follicle (white star) can be seen. Colonic crypts (white arrow) with no connection to the luminal surface “outgrow” from the isolated lymphoid follicle.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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