1Ph. D., Immunology, Faculty of Nursing, University of Kufa, Iraq
2M. Sc., Adult Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, University of Kufa, Iraq
3M. Sc., MLT Specialist in Medical City, Bagdad, MOH, Iraq
4B. Sc., Nursing, Al-Najaf Center for Cardiac Surgery, MOH, Iraq
Online published on 21 February, 2019.
Interleukin-13 is a cytokine that exerts strong proinflammatory activities. In this study, we aimed to evaluate changes in IL-13 expression in the inflamed mucosa and in the serum of patients with Ulcerative colitis.
Tissue samples were collected endoscopically or surgically from patients with ulcerative colitis (n=46), and apparently normal colorectal tissues (n=32). IL-13 expression was evaluated by a standard immunohistochemical procedure and serum IL-13 levels were determined by ELISA technique.
The IL-13 was sever expression in inflamed biopsies at score 4 (41.3%), moderate expression in non-inflamed biopsies at score 2 (63%), and low expression in apparently healthy control at score 2 (62.5%) in the interstitial space among colonocytes all along the crypt axis. Furthermore, UC patients had significantly elevated level of serum IL-13 than control group 58.69 ± 10.32 pg/ml, 24.14 ± 5.66 pg/ml respectively (p value <0.0001).
IL-13 expression in the mucosa and serum was increased in UC patients. It is likely that IL-13 expression in UC may be associated with inflammatory responses in the intestinal mucosa. Further studies were required to investigate the mRNA expression in UC.
Cytokine, Immunohistochemistry, Inflammation, Ulcerative Colitis
