Fibrosis in ulcerative colitis is directly linked to severity and chronicity of mucosal inflammation

Abstract

A significant degree of fibrosis and muscularis mucosae thickening should be considered as common complications of chronic progressive ulcerative colitis. These features may have clinical consequences such as motility abnormalities and increased wall stiffness.

Cooling Down the Hot Potato: Anti-Interleukin 36 Therapy Prevents and Treats Experimental Intestinal Fibrosis

“…1 Increasing evidence suggests that fibrosis is also common and clinically relevant in the colon of patients with ulcerative colitis, with clinical implications such as urgency or diarrhea. 2 Intestinal fibrosis represents perhaps the most significant remaining challenge in the field of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) because specific antifibrotic therapies are currently not available. 1 Intestinal mesenchymal cells (including fibroblasts, myofibroblasts, and smooth muscle cells) are considered the main effector cells in intestinal fibrosis through their ability to secrete extracellular matrix.…”

Yersiniabactin producing AIEC promote inflammation-associated fibrosis in gnotobioticIl10−/−mice

“…Because fibrosis incidence seemed to differ between NC101-, Δ fyuA-, and Δirp1- colonized Il10 −/− mice, we next utilized a fibrosis pathology scoring system to determine whether the Ybt system in AIEC impacts inflammation-associated fibrosis (28) (29) (see Materials and Methods). The most severe fibrosis pathology in all regions of the colon were observed in Δ fyuA -colonized Il10 −/− mice, which corresponded with higher incidence of severe disease.…”

“…Fibrosis was blindly assessed on colonic H&E sections and validated by Sirius red. Severity of fibrosis (0-5) was evaluated using a validated scoring system (28) (29) evaluating the extent of submucosal involvement: 0 – no fibrosis; fibrosis in: 1 - <25%, 2 - 26-50%, 3 - 51-75%, or 4 - 76-100% of colon section. One point was added for lamina propria involvement.…”

Cells under stress: The mechanical environment shapes inflammasome responses to danger signals

“…Increased tissue stiffness is a hallmark of various inflammatory diseases. For instance, arterial stiffness is increased in cardiovascular diseases, lung compliance is decreased in chronic obstructive pulmonary fibrosis and ALI, airway walls stiffen in asthma, and intestinal walls stiffen in ulcerative colitis . Increased tissue stiffness has been shown, in some instances, to enhance inflammatory responses.…”