Authors: Di Sabatino Antonio Rosado Manuela M Cazzola Paolo Biancheri Paolo Tinozzi Francesco Paolo Laera Maria Rita Cantoro Laura Vanoli Alessandro Carsetti Rita Corazza Gino Roberto
Publish Date: 2008/05/01
Volume: 14, Issue: 5, Pages: 591-596
Abstract
Antonio Di Sabatino Manuela M Rosado Paolo Cazzola Paolo Biancheri Francesco Paolo Tinozzi Maria Rita Laera Laura Cantoro Alessandro Vanoli Rita Carsetti Gino Roberto Corazza Splenic function and IgMmemory B cells in Crohns disease patients treated with infliximab Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Volume 14 Issue 5 1 May 2008 Pages 591–596 https//doiorg/101002/ibd20374Under experimental chronic inflammation tumor necrosis factor TNFα plays a role in damaging spleen marginal zone This latter has a crucial function in mounting B celldependent immune responses against infections by encapsulated bacteria In Crohns disease CD a chronic inflammatory disorder where TNFα is centrally involved impaired splenic function may increase the susceptibility to bacterial infections On this basis we aimed to investigate the influence of antiTNF therapy on splenic function in CD patientsPeripheral blood samples were obtained from 15 CD patients before and after treatment with infliximab administered at weeks 0 2 and 6 at a dose of 5 mg/kg Counting of erythrocytes with membrane abnormalities pitted red cells was used as an indicator of splenic function Multicolor flow cytometry was performed to analyze circulating B cellsA substantial clinical improvement in 10 of the 15 CD patients was associated with a significant reduction of pitted red cells from median 60 to 36 P 001 after 10 weeks of treatment In responder patients the improvement of splenic function was accompanied by a parallel increase of circulating IgMmemory B cells from median 69 to 133 P 0005 Splenic function was not ameliorated in nonresponder patientsSplenic function improved in CD patients who responded to infliximab and was accompanied by a concomitant restoration of the IgMmemory B cell pool responsible for the protection against encapsulated bacteria Restoration of splenic function after infliximab treatment is intriguing and requires further investigation
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