Detection of galectin-3 in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases: new serum marker of active forms of IBD?

Objective: It is an open question whether multifunctional galectin-3 can be a serum marker in inflammatory bowel disease.

Methods: Western blots and commercial ELISA detected and quantitated the lectin immunocytochemistry using double labeling localized it in tissue sections.

Results: Serum concentrations were significantly increased in specimen of patients with active and remission-stage ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, associated with emerging positivity of CD14(+) cells.

Constitutive expression of IL-18 and IL-18R in differentiated IEC-6 cells: effect of TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma treatment.

The multifunctional cytokine interleukin-18 (IL-18) is an important mediator in intestinal inflammatory processes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the constitutive expression of IL-18 and its receptors (IL-18Ralpha and IL-18Rbeta) in intestinal epithelial cells (IEC) stimulated by tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma). In addition, cellular proliferation and evaluation of brush border enzymes as differentiation markers were studied.

Proteomic analysis of wheat proteins recognized by IgE antibodies of allergic patients.

Wheat belongs to six major food allergens inducing IgE-mediated hypersensitivity reaction manifesting as cutaneous, gastrointestinal, and respiratory symptoms. Although cereals are a staple food item in most diets, only a few wheat proteins causing hypersensitivity have been identified. To characterize wheat allergens, salt-soluble wheat extracts were separated by 1-DE and 2-DE and IgE-binding proteins were detected by immunoblotting using sera of patients with allergy to ingested wheat.