CONCISE REPORT

Colon mucosa of patients both with spondyloarthritis and Crohn’s disease is enriched with macrophages expressing the scavenger receptor CD163

P Demetter¹, M De Vos², J A Van Huysse¹, D Baeten³, L Ferdinande¹, H Peeters², H Mielants³, E M Veys³, F De Keyser³, C A Cuvelier¹

¹ Department of Pathology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, Belgium
² Department of Gastroenterology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, Belgium
³ Department of Rheumatology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, Belgium

Correspondence to:
Dr P Demetter
Department of Pathology, Ghent University Hospital, 5 Blok A, De Pintelaan 185, B-9000 Gent, Belgium; pieter.demetter{at}ugent.be

Background: Crohn’s disease is associated with an increased number of macrophages in ileal and colonic mucosa. Data on macrophages in gut mucosa of patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA) are scarce.

Objective: To investigate macrophages and other antigen presenting cells in gut mucosa from patients with SpA and Crohn’s disease, given the relationship between both entities.

Methods: Biopsy specimens from patients with SpA, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and from controls were immunohistochemically stained with different markers for macrophages and dendritic cells. Slides were scored semiquantitatively on a four point scale.

Results: SpA and Crohn’s disease were associated with large numbers of CD68⁺ macrophages. Colon mucosa of both patients with SpA and Crohn’s disease, but not ulcerative colitis, showed increased numbers of macrophages expressing the scavenger receptor CD163.

Conclusions: Macrophages expressing the scavenger receptor CD163 are increased in colonic mucosa in SpA and in Crohn’s disease, highlighting the relationship between these entities. The increased number of CD163⁺ macrophages in colon mucosa of patients with SpA suggests this is another argument for a role of macrophage scavenger receptors in this group of diseases.

Abbreviations: IBD, inflammatory bowel disease; SRCR, scavenger receptor cysteine-rich; SpA, spondyloarthritis; TNF, tumour necrosis factor

Keywords: spondyloarthritis; inflammatory bowel disease; macrophages; scavenger receptors

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