Increase of regulatory T cells in ileal mucosa of untreated pediatric @entity30 XXXX .

@entity1 @entity404 @entity4628 @entity33 @entity29 @entity403 @entity2902 @entity30 @entity4386
BACKGROUND: @entity29 ( @entity29 ) of pediatric and adult onset differs in several aspects although little knowledge exists about pathogenic disparity. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) characterized as @entity404 + @entity2902 + @entity403 + are modulators of gut homeostasis, but their role in @entity1 @entity29 remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the mucosal distribution of @entity403 + and @entity2902 + cells in untreated pediatric @entity29 @entity1 at the time of diagnosis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Untreated pediatric (n = 14) and adult (n = 12) @entity30 ( @entity30 ) @entity1 were prospectively included together with age-matched symptomatic controls. Colonic and ileal mucosal biopsies collected at diagnosis were studied by immunohistochemistry for enumeration of T cells and for mucosal expression of @entity403 and @entity2902 . Multicolor immunofluorescence staining was performed in situ to phenotype @entity403 + cells as Tregs and characterize the @entity2902 + cells. RESULTS: The density of @entity33 cells displayed only small variations, while that of @entity403 + cells and @entity2902 + cells was increased in @entity30 @entity1 . Multicolor immunofluorescence showed that most @entity2902 + cells were macrophages. Interestingly, in the ileum of pediatric @entity30 @entity1 the density of @entity403 + cells was significantly higher than in adult @entity30 @entity1 . Co-expression of @entity403 and @entity2902 , as well as @entity403 and @entity4386 , indicated that the @entity403 + cells were Tregs. CONCLUSION: Mucosal numbers of @entity403 (+) Tregs and activated ( @entity2902 +) macrophages are elevated in both pediatric and adult ileal @entity30 . The greater increase of ileal @entity403 + Tregs in pediatric @entity30 than in adult @entity30 might contribute to the relatively less frequent phenotype of isolated @entity4628 in @entity30 @entity1 .
