Evaluation of CD40 and CD80 receptors in the colonic mucosal membrane of children with inflammatory bowel disease

Abstract

Introduction. The most prevalent inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) include ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD). Immune processes play a vital role in the etiopathogenesis of these conditions, involving both cellular and humoral response mechanisms. The aim of this study was to quantify CD40-and CD80-positive cells in the biopsy specimens of large intestinal mucosa from children with IBD. Materials and method. The study comprised 38 children aged between 3-17 years (mean 11.5±3.7 years)-20 boys (52.6%) and 18 girls (47.4%). Eighteen patients were diagnosed with UC on the basis of clinical manifestation, endoscopic and histopathological findings. Mean age of this subgroup was 11.55±4.07 years. A group of 10 children (mean age 12.30±2.83) diagnosed with CD was also included. The control group comprised 10 IBD-free children (mean age 10.28±4.07 years). The surface expressions of CD40 and CD80 were analyzed in large intestine mucosa biopsy specimens, fixed in formaldehyde, embedded in paraffin, and cut with a microtome into 4 μm slices. Results. The number of CD40-and CD80-positive cells in the large intestinal mucosa of children with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis was significantly higher than in the controls. The highest number of CD40+ and CD80+ cells was observed in the caecal mucosal membrane of Crohn’s disease patients and in the rectal mucosa of individuals with ulcerative colitis. Conclusion. IBD is characterized by elevated, segment-specific, expression of CD40 and CD80.