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Celiac disease: role of intestinal compartments in the mucosal immune response

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Abstract

Different approaches have been used to study the pattern of cytokines in celiac disease (CD). Laser capture microdissection (LCM) is a powerful tool for the isolation of specific tissue compartments. We aimed to investigate the mucosal immune response that takes place in different intestinal compartments of CD patients, dissected by LCM, analyzing cytokine expression profile. Frozen section of jejunum was obtained from 15 untreated CD and 15 control. Surface epithelium and lamina propria compartment were isolated by LCM. RNA from each LCM sample was extracted and, after a retrotranscription step, messenger RNA levels for MxA, IL-15, TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-17α, IL-21, IL-10, and TGF-β were determined by quantitative reverse transcriptase-PCR. Increased gene expression levels of MxA, IL-15, TNF-α, IL-10, and TGF-β was observed in the surface epithelium of untreated CD with respect to control. Furthermore, all the cytokines investigated were upregulated in the lamina propria of untreated CD as compared to control. Within the untreated CD group the expression of IL-15 was higher, in the surface epithelium than in the lamina propria, whereas the expression levels of IL-17 and IL-21 were higher in the lamina propria than in the surface epithelium. Finally, high levels of IL-10 and TGF-β were detected in both compartments of untreated CD biopsies. In CD, surface epithelium and lamina propria compartments, play a prominent role in determining innate and adaptive immunity, respectively. Conversely, surface epithelium and lamina propria produce high levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines, suggesting that both compartments are involved in the immunoregulatory response.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Rosa Maria Bevilacqua, Maria Cristina Bruno, and Maria Rosaria Volpe (Gastroenterology and Digestive Endoscopy Service, San G. Moscati Hospital, Avellino, Italy) for their help in the collection of mucosal samples. The authors are grateful to Raffaella Mastantuoni and Clemente Meccariello for their technical help. This study was funded by Department of Translational Medicine-Pediatric Section and European Laboratory for the Investigation of Food-Induced Disease (ELFID), University of Naples “Federico II”, via Pansini, 80131 Naples, Italy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Food Sciences, CNR, via Roma 64, 83100, Avellino, Italy

    Giuseppe Iacomino, Angela Marano, Ilaria Stillitano, Vera Rotondi Aufiero & Giuseppe Mazzarella

  2. Gastroenterology and Digestive Endoscopy Service, S. Rita Clinic, via Appia, 83042, Atripalda, Italy

    Gaetano Iaquinto

  3. Gastroenterology and Digestive Endoscopy Service, San G. Moscati Hospital, Contrada Amoretta, 83100, Avellino, Italy

    Michele Schettino

  4. Department of Preventive Medicine San G. Moscati Hospital, Contrada Amoretta, 83100, Avellino, Italy

    Armando Masucci

  5. Department of Translational Medicine-Pediatric Section, University of Naples “Federico II”, Naples, Italy

    Riccardo Troncone & Salvatore Auricchio

  6. European Laboratory for the Investigation of Food-Induced Disease (ELFID), University of Naples “Federico II”, via Pansini, 80131, Naples, Italy

    Riccardo Troncone, Salvatore Auricchio & Giuseppe Mazzarella

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  1. Giuseppe Iacomino
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  2. Angela Marano
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Correspondence to Giuseppe Mazzarella.

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Iacomino, G., Marano, A., Stillitano, I. et al. Celiac disease: role of intestinal compartments in the mucosal immune response. Mol Cell Biochem 411, 341–349 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11010-015-2596-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11010-015-2596-7

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