Proteolytic degradation of intestinal mucosal extracellular matrix after lamina propria T cell activation.

Background: Proteoglycans, consisting of glycosaminoglycan (GAG) side chains covalently linked to a protein core, are a major component of the extracellular matrix of the intestinal lamina propria.

Aims: This study investigated the effects of lamina propria T cell activation on the proteoglycan component of the matrix.

Methods: The high degree of sulphation of GAGs means that they are polyanionic and thus can be visualised in tissue sections by means of colloidal-gold labelled cationic probes.