concanavalin-a and Crohn-Disease

Topics: Colitis, Ulcerative; Concanavalin A; Crohn Disease; Humans; Lymphocyte Activation; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory

Patients with Crohn's disease (CD) (n = 10) and ulcerative colitis (UC) (n = 10) were tested for immune responses against various antigens from Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis; alkyl hydroperoxide reductase C (AhpC) and alkyl hydroperoxide reductase D (AhpD), which are constitutively expressed in this species as opposed to other mycobacteria, a 14-kDa secreted antigen and PPD-J. The CD patients had significantly elevated antibody levels against the 14 kDa protein (P < 0.05) that were negatively correlated with the duration of the disease (r(s) = - 0.85). They also seemed to have increased antibody levels against AhpC and AhpD, but the differences between the two groups were not significant. However, taken together, the antibody responses to three individual mycobacterial antigens in CD patients strengthen the possibility that the observed responses are caused by mycobacterial infection. No significant differences in the interferon (IFN)-gamma production, the interleukin (IL)-10 production and the ability to proliferate upon stimulation with these antigens were observed. These results show that measuring antibody responses against purified specific antigens is a suitable and simple approach when assessing the connection between CD and mycobacteria in patients with clinical CD. Another important aspect in such studies is to have well defined patient groups tested at the onset of clinical symptoms.

Topics: Adult; Antibodies, Bacterial; Antigens, Bacterial; Autoantibodies; Autoimmune Diseases; Colitis, Ulcerative; Concanavalin A; Crohn Disease; Female; Humans; Interferon-gamma; Interleukin-10; Lymphocyte Activation; Male; Middle Aged; Molecular Mimicry; Molecular Weight; Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis; Paratuberculosis; Peroxidases; Peroxiredoxins; Phytohemagglutinins; Tuberculin

Crohn's disease is a risk factor for gallstone formation. In contrast, patients with ulcerative colitis have an incidence of gallstone formation comparable to the general population. The reason for this difference is not known. The aim of this study was to elucidate the factors controlling cholesterol crystallization in gallbladder bile of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis patients.. Gallbladder bile was obtained by aspiration during bowel resections (26 Crohn's disease patients, 20 ulcerative colitis patients). Biliary lipid composition, crystal detection time and the effect of extraction of the concanavalin A-binding fraction on crystal formation were determined.. Cholesterol crystals were present in seven of the 26 bile samples of Crohn's disease-patients and one of the 20 ulcerative colitis patients. Four of the bile samples of Crohn's disease patients were fast nucleating. None of the 20 ulcerative colitis patients had fast nucleating bile. Lipid composition, total lipid concentration and CSI were not significantly different between the two groups. In Crohn's disease patients extraction of concanavalin A-binding fraction decreased crystallization in 10 bile samples but accelerated crystallization in one bile sample. In eight bile samples from ulcerative colitis patients crystallization increased after concanavalin A-binding fraction extraction.. Compared to ulcerative colitis patients, gallbladder bile of Crohn's disease patients showed increased cholesterol crystallization despite comparable lipid composition and cholesterol saturation index. This difference is caused by increased cholesterol crystallization-promoting activity. Bile from ulcerative colitis patients contains a Con A-binding factor which inhibits cholesterol crystallization.

Topics: Adult; Bile; Cholesterol; Colitis, Ulcerative; Concanavalin A; Crohn Disease; Crystallization; Female; Gallbladder; Humans; Immunoglobulin A; Lipid Metabolism; Male; Secretory Component

Interleukin-10 (IL-10) is an anti-inflammatory cytokine. Its production in humans is under genetic control, and genotype defines high or low producers of this cytokine. This study addresses the hypothesis that idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients are more likely to have the low IL-10 producer genotype and phenotype. DNA was extracted from blood cells of patients with Crohn's disease (CD) or with ulcerative colitis (UC) for IL-10 genotyping. The frequency of the high IL-10 producer allele (-1082*G) was decreased in the whole IBD group (41% vs. 51%, P = 0.03) and in the UC patients compared with normal controls (37% vs. 51%; P = 0.04). Hence, there appears to be an association between the IL-10 genotypes and IBD. This suggests that individuals genetically predisposed to produce less IL-10 are at a higher risk of developing IBD, in particular, UC.

Topics: Colitis, Ulcerative; Concanavalin A; Crohn Disease; Genotype; Haplotypes; Humans; In Vitro Techniques; Interleukin-10; Leukocytes; Phenotype; Polymorphism, Genetic

We studied the M. paratuberculosis-induced proliferation and suppressor cell generation by peripheral blood lymphocytes from patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Peripheral blood lymphocytes were separated from 33 patients with Crohn's disease, 18 with ulcerative colitis, nine with other intestinal diseases, and five with autoimmune disorders. Proliferation of peripheral blood lymphocytes from normal individuals in response to 10 micrograms/ml of M. paratuberculosis antigen was reduced by depletion of CD4+ T cells. The ability of M. paratuberculosis antigen to suppress concanavalin A-induced proliferation (expressed as a percentage suppression) was reduced by depletion of CD8+ T cells. This suppression was the same whether peripheral blood lymphocytes were from normal individuals, patients with intestinal diseases other than inflammatory bowel disease, or patients with autoimmune disorders (47 +/- 14%, 44 +/- 24%, and 30 +/- 26%, respectively). In contrast, the suppression induced by M. paratuberculosis for patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis (66 +/- 22% and 67 +/- 22%) was much greater than that for normal individuals (P less than 0.001). In particular, lymphocytes from patients with active Crohn's disease demonstrated little proliferation in response to this antigen but marked suppressor activity (79 +/- 13%). How the immunomodulatory effects of this antigen relate to the pathogenesis of the inflammatory bowel diseases remains to be determined.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Antigens, Bacterial; Child; Colitis, Ulcerative; Concanavalin A; Crohn Disease; Humans; Lymphocyte Activation; Middle Aged; Mycobacterium; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory

In the present study, we compared the potency of interleukin 6 production in peripheral blood mononuclear leukocytes between paired patients with active stage and inactive stage of inflammatory bowel disease. Subjects included nine patients with ulcerative colitis, ten patients with Crohn's disease and sex-matched nine healthy volunteers. Mononuclear leukocytes were stimulated with concanavalin A for 24 h to induce interleukin 6 production. Interleukin 6 content in the culture medium was assayed by using specific ELISA and interleukin 6 dependent cell line MH-60. Interleukin 6 production was found to be significantly increased in mononuclear leukocytes from both active ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease as compared to that from control subjects. There was no significant difference in interleukin 6 production between ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. The potency of interleukin 6 production was returned to the control level when the diseases became inactive. The present results, therefore, may indicate some important role of interleukin 6 in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease and also the potency of interleukin 6 production in mononuclear leukocytes can be an indicator of the activity of inflammatory bowel disease.

Topics: Adult; Cell Line; Colitis, Ulcerative; Concanavalin A; Crohn Disease; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Female; Humans; Interleukin-6; Leukocytes, Mononuclear; Male

The glycoconjugate composition of intestinal goblet cell mucin was characterized according to the anatomical distribution of lectin-binding sites in surgically resected intestinal tissues and mucosal biopsy specimens obtained from 38 control subjects, and from 32 patients with the active phase of ulcerative colitis, and 12 with Crohn's disease. Immunoperoxidase labeling studies found that in control tissues binding by Soybean Agglutinin (SBA), Dolichos Biflorus Agglutinin (DBA), Wheatgerm Agglutinin (WGA), and Ricinus Communis Agglutinin-120 (RCA-120) was consistently higher than that of Peanut Agglutinin (PNA), Ulex Europaeus Agglutinin-1 (UEA-1), Concanavalin A (ConA) and Helix Pomatia Agglutinin (HPA). Tissues from ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease patients, showed increases in DBA and SBA binding, a reduction in HPA binding, and changes in the distribution of PNA, UEA-1, RCA-120, and HPA labeling sites. These results demonstrated that the expression of lectin-binding sites on human intestinal goblet mucin was specifically altered in ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, thus possibly providing another approach to the assessment of neoplastic risk on these diseases.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Colitis, Ulcerative; Concanavalin A; Crohn Disease; Female; Histocytochemistry; Humans; Intestinal Mucosa; Intestines; Lectins; Male; Middle Aged; Peanut Agglutinin; Plant Lectins; Wheat Germ Agglutinins

Immune-mediated mechanisms and genetic factors are believed to be involved in the pathogenesis of Crohn's disease. We studied T- and B-cell subpopulation proportions and various functional assays, including proliferative responses to PHA and Con A, Con A-induced suppressive activity, and natural killer cell assay toward the K562 cell line, in the peripheral blood of 22 patients with inactive familial Crohn's disease and their 35 healthy relatives including nine families. HLA-A, -B, and -DR antigens were determined in all the subjects. With the exception of minor abnormalities of suppressor cell activity present in some relatives of two families, neither significant impairments of immunological parameters in patients or their relatives nor concordant segregation of HLA haplotypes and disease were observed. These data indicate that peripheral immune abnormalities previously described in patients with Crohn's disease do not constitute primary factors involved in the disease itself and that familial incidence in Crohn's disease cannot be linked to immunological markers presently studied.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Antibodies, Monoclonal; Child; Concanavalin A; Crohn Disease; Female; HLA Antigens; Humans; Immunity, Cellular; Leukocytes, Mononuclear; Lymphocyte Activation; Lymphocytes; Male; Middle Aged; Pedigree; Phytohemagglutinins; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory

Different immune functions of 10 patients with glutein-sensitive enteropathy (GSE), 9 with Crohn's disease (CD), 11 with ulcerative colitis (UC) and 13 healthy controls were characterized. The numbers of suppressor T cells in GSE were comparable to those of the controls; otherwise, the lymphocyte subpopulations were decreased in these bowel diseases. In the whole-blood cultures, the lymphocyte proliferative responses to PHA were normal in the bowel diseases, but the responses to Con A were decreased in CD. In cultures with D-penicillamine, the inhibition of the helper effect of CD patients was more pronounced in PHA-stimulated cultures than in Con A-stimulated cultures. The total Ig and IgA production did not markedly differ among the groups. PWM-induced IgM secretion was significantly decreased in GSE, CD and UC, and IgG secretion in CD and UC, as compared to controls. In GSE, an increased Con A inducible suppressor cell activity was observed in the IgM production. Altogether, no clear-cut immunological imbalance was detected in any of the bowel diseases; this in agreement with previous works. However, there are some differences in the regulatory cell balance among the patients with GSE, CD and UC. The determination of lymphocyte proliferative responses to PHA and Con A together with D-penicillamine seems to provide a new immunological criterium for distinguishing between Chrohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Antibody Formation; Antigens, Differentiation; Celiac Disease; Colitis, Ulcerative; Concanavalin A; Copper; Copper Sulfate; Crohn Disease; Female; Humans; Immunoglobulins; Leukocyte Count; Lymphocyte Activation; Lymphocytes; Male; Middle Aged; Penicillamine; Phytohemagglutinins

The following immunologic in vitro tests were applied on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from patients with chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD): concanavalin A (Con A)-induced suppressor test, Con A-activated lymphoblast transformation test, and spontaneous lymphoblast transformation test. Concomitant phenotypic characterization of subsets of PBMC was performed with monoclonal antibodies. Patients with ulcerative colitis and a control group with rheumatoid arthritis showed significantly reduced activity in the Con A-activated lymphoblast transformation test compared with healthy controls and patients with Crohn's disease. The distribution of PBMC subsets and the results of the other in vitro tests were similar for patients with IBD and healthy controls. Thus the decrease in Con A-activated lymphoblast activity was not due to an increased suppressor function as measured either by functional Con A-induced suppressor test or indirectly by T8 phenotype.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Colitis, Ulcerative; Concanavalin A; Crohn Disease; Female; Humans; Leukocytes, Mononuclear; Lymphocyte Activation; Male; Middle Aged; Phenotype; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory

To determine whether patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis differ in their capacity to produce immunoglobulins, we have studied the in vitro immunoglobulin synthesis by peripheral blood lymphocytes of such patients and compared the results with those of healthy controls. The spontaneous immunoglobulin production by peripheral blood lymphocytes from Crohn's disease patients was significantly increased for both IgA and IgG, whereas for IgM the increase did not reach statistical significance. In ulcerative colitis, however, the spontaneous IgA and IgG production was almost identical to that of the healthy controls and thus lower than in Crohn's disease. Pokeweed mitogen stimulation resulted in a significantly enhanced immunoglobulin production in Crohn's disease and in controls, whereas peripheral blood lymphocytes from ulcerative colitis patients were found to be rather insensitive to pokeweed mitogen stimulation. Suppression of the stimulated immunoglobulin production by concanavalin A revealed considerable reduction in all groups studied. In general, the highest suppression was found in patients with Crohn's disease. In patients with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis there was no relation between the changes in the in vitro immunoglobulin synthesis and the population of B or T lymphocytes and monocytes present in the peripheral blood. The differences in the spontaneous and stimulated immunoglobulin synthesis by peripheral blood lymphocytes, as found in this study, point to major changes in the regulation of the immunoglobulin synthesis in Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Colitis, Ulcerative; Concanavalin A; Crohn Disease; Female; Humans; Immunoglobulin A; Immunoglobulin G; Immunoglobulin M; Immunoglobulins; Lymphocytes; Male; Middle Aged; Pokeweed Mitogens

The present study was carried out to investigate the involvement of prostaglandin E (PGE) for mitogenic response and interleukin 2 (IL-2) production in patients with Crohn's disease (CD). Mitogenic response and IL-2 production in CD patients were significantly reduced in comparison with the values obtained in healthy donors, the control, (HD, p less than 0.05). Slight increases of mitogenic response and IL-2 production were observed in the presence of indomethacin (IM) in both CD patients and HD, but the differences between the values of them were still significant (p less than 0.05) resulting in less involvement of PGE for the reductions of mitogenic response and IL-2 production in CD patients. Moreover, phytohemagglutinin (PHA) response after addition of IL-2 in CD patients increased remarkably and became equal to that of HD. These results indicate that the reductions of mitogenic response and IL-2 production in CD patients are neither due to the suppression of T cell function by PGE nor the impairment of IL-2 responders.

Topics: Concanavalin A; Crohn Disease; Humans; Indomethacin; Interleukin-2; Leukocytes, Mononuclear; Lymphocyte Activation; Phytohemagglutinins; Prostaglandins E

In a paired, blind and prospective study including 36 patients with chronic inflammatory bowel disease, i.e. ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD), and 36 healthy volunteers, the immune capacity has been examined by three different test systems using peripheral blood mononuclear cells: spontaneous mitotic activity (SMA), concanavalin A (con A) activated lymphoblast transformation test (LTT) and autologous mixed lymphocyte reaction (AMLR). The same patients and controls were examined simultaneously for their suppressor activity by a con A induced suppressor activity (CAISA) test. SMA was similar in UC patients and controls. The lymphoblast transformation (LT) in UC patients was significantly reduced with submaximal concentrations of con A (1 and 2 micrograms), whereas AMLR was only non-significantly decreased. However, the results registered by these two test systems revealed a significantly positive correlation. CAISA in UC patients was significantly enhanced, but this finding showed no correlation to the reduced LTT and AMLR, indicating a primary defect in the mitotic capacity independent of the observed increment in CAISA. SMA, con A activated LT, AMLR and CAISA were similar in CD patients and controls.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Colitis, Ulcerative; Concanavalin A; Crohn Disease; Female; Humans; Lymphocyte Activation; Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; Male; Middle Aged; Mitosis; Monocytes; Prospective Studies; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory

Intestinal mononuclear cells are poor mediators of spontaneous and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. In this study, we found that both interferon and mitogenic lectins were able to induce increased levels of cell-mediated cytotoxicity by intestinal mononuclear cells. Intestinal mononuclear cells from patients with inflammatory bowel disease exhibited hyporesponsiveness to cytotoxic activation by interferon or lectins compared with control intestinal mononuclear cells. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with Crohn's disease exhibited deficient spontaneous and antibody-dependent cytotoxicity that could be partially reversed by interferon or mitogenic lectins. These studies demonstrate that exogenous agents or endogenous factors can induce deficient intestinal and peripheral blood cytotoxic effector cells from inflammatory bowel disease patients to become active. In comparison with control cells, however, intestinal and peripheral blood mononuclear cells from inflammatory bowel disease patients are not only deficient in cytotoxic capabilities but also are hyporesponsive to interferon and lectin activation.

Topics: Antibody-Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity; Concanavalin A; Crohn Disease; Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; Humans; Inflammation; Interferon Type I; Intestinal Diseases; Intestines; Killer Cells, Natural; Lymphocyte Activation; Monocytes; Pokeweed Mitogens

Cytokine production from peripheral blood mononuclear cells, T-cell subsets and Ia positive monocytes in patients with inflammatory bowel disease were investigated. 26 patients with Crohn's disease (CD), 7 patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and age and sex matched healthy donors (HD) as controls were studied. No differences were seen between UC and HD in any of the parameters examined. However, impairment of interleukin 2 and interferon production was noted in CD. They cannot be attributable to decreased number of T cells, because no significant differences were seen in the number of T cells including subsets. On the other hand, regarding interleukin 1 production, no differences were seen between HD and CD. These results suggest that some form of dysfunction exists at the T-cell level in the peripheral blood in CD.

Topics: Adult; Biological Products; Colitis, Ulcerative; Concanavalin A; Crohn Disease; Cytokines; Female; Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; Humans; Interferon Type I; Interleukin-1; Interleukin-2; Lymphocyte Activation; Lymphocytes; Male; Middle Aged; Monocytes; T-Lymphocytes

Polymorphonuclear leucocytes of patients with untreated Crohn's disease showed a lower level of oxidative metabolism than polymorphonuclear leucocytes of treated Crohn's disease patients and controls. Whereas the production of superoxide anion (O-.2) in Crohn's disease patients was almost normal, polymorphonuclear leucocytes of untreated Crohn's disease patients showed a significantly deficient production of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). In the medically treated Crohn's disease patients, a significant negative correlation was found between H2O2 production by polymorphonuclear leucocytes and disease activity. These findings suggest an intrinsic cellular defect in the neutrophils of Crohn's disease patients which, together with the decreased locomotor function of these cells in vivo, might contribute to the pathogenesis of the chronic inflammation and granuloma formation in this disease.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Concanavalin A; Crohn Disease; Cytochalasins; Female; Humans; Hydrogen Peroxide; In Vitro Techniques; Lipopolysaccharides; Male; Middle Aged; Neutrophils; Oxidation-Reduction; Superoxides; Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate

In 28 patients with Crohn's disease, 6 patients with ulcerative colitis, and 34 healthy controls, immunoregulatory function of peripheral blood mononuclear cells was investigated by evaluating the suppression of lymphocyte proliferative responses to mitogens (phytohemagglutinin, concanavalin A, pokeweed mitogen) and to allogeneic lymphocytes (mixed lymphocyte culture) using simultaneously five functional assays as follows: (a) spontaneous T-suppressor-cell activity, (b) concanavalin A-generated T-suppressor-cell activity, both with (3000 rads) and without irradiation of suppressor cells, and (c) allogeneic mixed lymphocyte culture-generated T-suppressor-cell activity, again both with and without irradiation. Concanavalin A- and mixed lymphocyte culture-generated T-suppressor-cell activities were evaluated both in the autologous and the allogeneic system. In addition, using monoclonal antibodies, we determined proportions of T-helper and T-suppressor/cytotoxic lymphocytes. Inactive patients did not differ from normal either in the proportions of immunoregulatory lymphocytes or in the suppression of the various lymphocyte proliferative responses in any of the five T-suppressor-cell assays evaluated. In patients with active disease, however, an impairment of suppression of phytohemagglutinin-, pokeweed mitogen-, and mixed lymphocyte culture-stimulated proliferation of autologous lymphocytes was observed in the concanavalin A-generated, irradiated suppressor assay. In the spontaneous suppressor assay, suppression of phytohemagglutinin- and concanavalin A-stimulated lymphocyte proliferation was significantly lower in active disease than in remission. Thus, in peripheral blood of patients with Crohn's disease who are in remission, there is no indication for an immunoregulatory defect in any of the evaluated assay systems. Single selective, moderate defects in suppression of proliferation of various lymphocyte subpopulations are restricted to active disease.

Topics: Colitis, Ulcerative; Concanavalin A; Crohn Disease; Humans; Lymphocyte Activation; Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; Phytohemagglutinins; Pokeweed Mitogens; T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory

Suppressor T cell activity was measured in 18 patients with Crohn's disease and 20 controls, using two different functional assays. The effects of sulphasalazine and its metabolites on in vitro suppressor cell activity were also studied. The activity of a Con A-induced suppressor cell system in patients with Crohn's disease did not differ from that of controls, suggesting that the previously reported abnormalities are a secondary phenomenon. Furthermore, the activity of a non-induced suppressor T cell system was also normal in these patients. There was no evidence either in vivo or in vitro to suggest that sulphasalazine exerts its beneficial action by an effect on this aspect of immunoregulation.

Topics: Aminosalicylic Acids; Concanavalin A; Crohn Disease; Humans; Lymphocyte Activation; Mesalamine; Sulfapyridine; Sulfasalazine; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory

Impaired regulation of immune function may contribute to the abnormal immune responses associated with idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease. We examined the autologous mixed-lymphocyte culture in inflammatory bowel disease patients because this reaction may reflect self regulation of immune responses in vivo and results in activation of suppressor T cells in vitro. We also examined suppressor T-cell generation in two separate assays. In contrast to healthy and disease controls who had normal values, the autologous mixed-lymphocyte culture response was diminished in 44 of 51 (86%) patients with inflammatory bowel disease, independent of disease type, activity, or steroid therapy. Fourteen of 17 inflammatory bowel disease patients (83%) had decreased suppressor T-cell generation. These results show a distinct abnormality in autologous mixed-lymphocyte culture reactivity and in generation of suppressor cells in inflammatory bowel disease. Such impaired immune regulation may be partly responsible for the immunologic aberrations observed in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Cell Division; Colitis, Ulcerative; Concanavalin A; Crohn Disease; Female; Humans; Kinetics; Lymphocyte Activation; Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; Male; Middle Aged; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory

Lamina proprial lymphocytes (LPL), isolated by an EDTA-collagenase technique from patients with various colonic diseases, were investigated for LMIF release in vitro. On stimulation with the preparation of Kunin antigen, macrophage-depleted LPL from patients with severely or moderately active ulcerative colitis showed LMIF release which was significantly greater than that observed using LPL from patients with mild colitis or from those with other diseases of the large bowel, including Crohn's disease. Results similar to those obtained with LPL were found with the corresponding peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) stimulated by the preparation of Kunin antigen. In contrast, nonspecific stimulation in vitro with Concanavalin A showed no differences in LMIF releases by the LPL or PBL in the various disease groups. It is suggested that hypersensitivity to Kunin antigen may have pathogenic significance in ulcerative colitis.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Appendicitis; Colitis, Ulcerative; Colonic Diseases; Colonic Neoplasms; Concanavalin A; Crohn Disease; Edetic Acid; Female; Humans; Intestinal Mucosa; Leukocyte Migration-Inhibitory Factors; Lymphocytes; Lymphokines; Male; Microbial Collagenase; Middle Aged; Rectal Neoplasms; Rectal Prolapse

We investigated suppressor cell activity in the peripheral blood of 39 patients with inflammatory bowel disease (30 Crohn's disease and 9 ulcerative colitis) by the short-lived suppressor cell assay. There was a significant decrease in the suppressor cell activity in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), compared to 26 healthy subjects studied simultaneously. Five other patients with acute bacterial infections had normal suppressor activity. A group of 14 IBD patients was also investigated for concanavalin A-induced suppressor cell activity and decreased suppressor function was confirmed. A significant positive correlation was found between the two assays. A defect in suppressor cell activity may permit the expression or maintenance of immunologically mediated damage to the gut in IBD.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Cell Division; Colitis, Ulcerative; Concanavalin A; Crohn Disease; Humans; Immune Tolerance; Lymphocytes; Middle Aged; Monocytes; Probability; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory

Studies were performed on eleven patients with inflammatory bowel disease to determine if there was an alteration in concanavalin A (Con A) induced suppressor cell activity. Similar investigations were also performed on twenty-one control subjects and five patients with other inflammatory conditions. Supressor cells were generated by pre-incubation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells with a mitogenic concentration of Con A, followed by treatment with mitomycin C and alpha-methyl mannoside. Under these conditions, cells obtained from normal individuals are then capable of suppressing the Con A-stimulated blast transformation responses of fresh allogeneic lymphocytes in new cultures. We found that in twenty out of twenty-one control subjects, and all five patients with other inflammatory disorders, Con A-stimulated suppressor cell activity was demonstrable. Four patients with inflammatory bowel disease, whose disease was mildly active or was in clinical remission, had elicitable suppressor cell activity which fell within the normal range. In contrast, suppressor cell activity was markedly diminished or absent in seven patients with severe and active inflammatory bowel disease. These studies suggest that an alternation in Con A-stimulated suppressor cells exists in patients with active inflammatory bowel disease, which may contribute, in part, to the persistent inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Colitis, Ulcerative; Concanavalin A; Crohn Disease; Female; Humans; Immunosuppression Therapy; Leukocyte Count; Lymphocyte Activation; Male; Middle Aged; T-Lymphocytes

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Colitis, Ulcerative; Concanavalin A; Crohn Disease; Culture Media; Humans; Lectins; Lymphocytes; Middle Aged; Thymidine; Tritium

Topics: Adult; Colitis, Ulcerative; Concanavalin A; Crohn Disease; Deoxyuridine; Female; Humans; Iodine Isotopes; Lectins; Lymphocytes; Male; Middle Aged; Stimulation, Chemical