Authors: Autschbach F, Eisold S, Hinz U, Zinser S, Linnebacher M, Giese T, Loffler T, Buchler MW, Schmidt J.
Institution: Institute of Pathology, University of Heidelberg, Germany.
Background and Aims: Conflicting results exist about the presence of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) specific IS900 DNA in Crohn's disease (CD) tissues. Therefore, we examined IS900 in a large number of gut samples from patients with CD (n = 100) and ulcerative colitis (UC, n = 100), and in non-inflamed control tissues (nIBD, n = 100). We hypothesised that IS900 DNA detection might be associated with distinct clinical phenotypic characteristics in CD.Results: IS900 PCR detection rate was significantly higher in CD tissue samples (52%) than in UC (2%) or nIBD (5%) specimens (p<0.0001). In CD patients, IS900 DNA was detected in samples from both diseased small bowel (47%) as well as from the colon (61%). No firm association between MAP specific IS900 detection rates and clinical phenotypic characteristics in CD could be established. However, corticosteroid medication constituted a factor which tended to have a negative influence on IS900 DNA detection rates in CD (p<0.01).
Conclusions: The presence of MAP specific IS900 DNA is a predominant feature of CD. Therapeutic intervention against MAP might represent a potential target for disease mitigation in Crohn's disease.
Related Studies:
- Detection and Verification of Mycobacterium Avium Subsp. Paratuberculosis in Fresh Ileocolonic Mucosal Biopsy Specimens from Individuals With and Without Crohn's Disease
- Culture of Mycobacterium Avium Subspecies Paratuberculosis from the Blood of Patients with Crohn's Disease
- High Prevalence of Mycobacterium Avium subspecies Paratuberculosis IS900 DNA in Gut Tissues from Individuals with Crohn's Disease
- Evaluation of Surgical Tissue from Patients with Crohn's Disease for the Presence of Mycobacterium Avium subspecies Paratuberculosis DNA by in situ Hybridization and Nested Polymerase Chain Reaction
