Mucosal tumour necrosis factor-alpha in diverticular disease of the colon is overexpressed with disease severity

  1. Antonio Tursi1,
  2. Walter Elisei2,
  3. Giovanni Brandimarte3,
  4. Gian Marco Giorgetti4,
  5. Cosimo Damiano Inchingolo5,
  6. Rosanna Nenna5,
  7. Marcello Picchio6,
  8. Floriana Giorgio7,
  9. Enzo Ierardi7

DOI: 10.1111/j.1463-1318.2011.02926.x

Additional Information

Author Information

  1. 1

    Servizio di Gastroenterologia Territoriale, ASL BAT, Andria (BT)

  2. 2

    U.O.C. di Gastroenterologia, ASL Roma H, Albano Laziale (Roma)

  3. 3

    U.O. di Gastroenterologia, Ospedale “Cristo Re”, Roma

  4. 4

    U.O.D. di Endoscopia Digestiva e Nutrizionale, Ospedale “S. Eugenio”, Roma

  5. 5

    U.O.C. di Anatomia ed Istologia Patologica, Ospedale “Lorenzo Bonomo”, ASL BAT, Andria (BT)

  6. 6

    U.O.C. di Chirurgia Generale, Ospedale “P. Colombo”, ASL Roma H, Velletri (Roma)

  7. 7

    Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche, Sezione di Gastroenterologia, Università di Foggia, Foggia

*Address for correspondence: Dr. Antonio TURSI, MD Via Torino, 49 76123 Andria (BT) – Italy Tel.: +39-0883-551094 Fax: +39-0883-1978210 e-mail: antotursi@tiscali.it

Publication History

  1. Accepted manuscript online: 21 DEC 2011 07:55AM EST
  2. Received Date : 12-Jun-2011 , Revised Date : 03-Oct-2011 , Accepted Date : 05-Oct-2011

SEARCH

SEARCH BY CITATION

ARTICLE TOOLS

Get PDF (123K)

Keywords:

  • diverticular disease;
  • diverticulitis;
  • segmental colitis associated with diverticulosis;
  • tumoral necrosis factor α

Abstract

Aim:  Inflammation occurs in diverticular disease (DD), but there is little information on inflammatory cytokines such as tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). The aim of this study was to assess TNF-α expression in DD and to see whether it is related to the severity of the disease.

Method:  Twenty four patients with symptomatic DD were divided into those with acute uncomplicated diverticulitis [AUD], (12 patients) and symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease [SUDD] (12 patients). Twelve further patients with asymptomatic diverticulosis (AD), six with segmental colitis associated with diverticulosis (SCAD), with ulcerative colitis (UC) and six healthy individuals (HC) served as controls. TNF-α expression in the colonic mucosa was assessed by the amount of the mRNA codifying for the synthesis of TNF-α.

Results:  TNF-α expression was significantly higher in AUD than in HC (p=0.0007), in AD (p=0.0001) and in SUDD (p=0.0179). It was significantly higher also in SUDD than in HC (p=0.0007) and in AD (p=0.0001). TNF-α expression in AUD did not differ significantly from that of UC (p=0.0678) and SCAD (p=0.0610). It was significantly higher in UC, SCAD, and AUD than SUDD (p=0.0007, p=0.0001, p=0.0179).

Conclusion:  TNF-α expression in DD seems to be related to the severity of the disease. In particular, it appears to be overexpressed in DD with inflammation (AUD and SUDD) compared with DD without (AD).

Get PDF (123K)