| First Author | Cornet A | Year | 2001 |
| Journal | Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A | Volume | 98 |
| Issue | 23 | Pages | 13306-11 |
| PubMed ID | 11687633 | Mgi Jnum | J:131274 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:3773421 | Doi | 10.1073/pnas.231474098 |
| Citation | Cornet A, et al. (2001) Enterocolitis induced by autoimmune targeting of enteric glial cells: a possible mechanism in Crohn's disease?. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 98(23):13306-11 |
| abstractText | Early pathological manifestations of Crohn's disease (CD) include vascular disruption, T cell infiltration of nerve plexi, neuronal degeneration, and induction of T helper 1 cytokine responses. This study demonstrates that disruption of the enteric glial cell network in CD patients represents another early pathological feature that may be modeled after CD8(+) T cell-mediated autoimmune targeting of enteric glia in double transgenic mice. Mice expressing a viral neoself antigen in astrocytes and enteric glia were crossed with specific T cell receptor transgenic mice, resulting in apoptotic depletion of enteric glia to levels comparable in CD patients. Intestinal and mesenteric T cell infiltration, vasculitis, T helper 1 cytokine production, and fulminant bowel inflammation were characteristic hallmarks of disease progression. Immune-mediated damage to enteric glia therefore may participate in the initiation and/or the progression of human inflammatory bowel disease. |
