Influence of treatment on morphological features of mucosal inflammation
- Correspondence to:
Professor Dr K Geboes, Department of Pathology, University Hospital, KUL, Minderbroedersstraat 12, 3000 Leuven, Belgium;
Karel.Geboes{at}uz.kuleuven.ac.be
Abstract
Microscopic analysis of endoscopically obtained tissue samples is important for the diagnosis of several gastrointestinal disorders such as gastritis and chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Histologically disease activity is based on the presence of neutrophilic polymorphonuclear leucocytes in conjunction with epithelial damage. Effective eradication treatment for Helicobacter pylori related gastritis reduces active inflammation rapidly whereas chronic inflammation decreases only slowly. Similar findings have been obtained for IBD. A literature review of clinical drug trials in IBD and the effect of various drugs on the microscopic features of Crohn's disease and immunohistochemistry for different markers was performed. Diagnostic microscopic features and the features characteristic for disease activity vary with time and treatment. The more recently developed drugs used for Crohn's disease can induce mucosal healing.
- 5-ASA, 5-acetylsalicylic acid
- CD, Crohn's disease
- CDAI, Crohn's disease activity index
- H&E, haematoxylin and eosin
- IBD, inflammatory bowel disease
- ICAM, intercellular adhesion molecule
- LFA, lymphocyte function associated antigen
- MHC, major histocompatibility complex
- TNFα, tumour necrosis factor α
- UC, ulcerative colitis
