IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL IDENTIFICATION OF LYSOZYME IN COLONIC MUCOSA IN ULCERATIVE COLITIS : CORRELATION OE SERUM LYSOZYME ACTIVITY AND HISTOLOGICAL FINDING OF COLONIC MUCOSA

Abstract

The distribution of lysozyme in colonic mucosa in ulcerative colitis was identified for the purpose of the investigation of lysozyme function in the pathological colon. The localization of lysozyme in colonic mucosa was determined with the use of the immunohistochemical techniques. This method, using ethanol fixation, is very useful because of maintaining stability of the antigenicity and comparison with the histological findings in colonic mucosa in ulcerative colitis. In contrast with findings in normal colon, in active ulcerative colitis lysozyme was detected in some mucosal crypt cells as well as in granulocytes, monocytes, and macrophages of the intestinal lamina propria. Serum lysozyme activities were also elevated in active ulcerative colitis. As the mechanism of the raised concentration of serum lysozyme in active ulcerative colitis, it is thought that leucocyte turnover is accelerated and that lysozyme containing mucosal crypt cells appear. The major histological finding associated with lysozyme containing mucosal crypt cells was goblet cell depletion. The present observations permit one explanation that the appearance of lysozyme containing mucosal crypt cells is a functional change of mucosal crypt cells in ulcerative colitis.