In Crohn's Disease CEACAM6 Helps E. Coli Stick To Intestinal Lining

[Guest guest]

In Crohn's Disease CEACAM6 Helps E. Coli Stick To Intestinal Lining

30 May 2007

In Crohn's disease, the lining of the small intestine is abnormally

colonized by E. coli organisms that are able to adhere to and invade

intestinal epithelial cells. In a study appearing online in advance

of publication in the June print issue of the Journal of Clinical

Investigation, Darfeuille-Michaud and colleagues from

Universite d'Auvergne, France, show that the adherent-invasive E.

coli (AIEC) adhere to a region of intestinal epithelial cells known

as the brush border in patients with Crohn's disease, but not in

healthy individuals. They show that this adhesion is dependent on the

expression of the receptor CEACAM6 (carcinoembryonic antigen-related

cell adhesion molecule 6) on the surface of the epithelial cells.

They go on to show that CEACAM6 expression is increased in Crohn's

disease patients after infection with AIEC bacteria, indicating that

this organism can promote its own colonization in individuals with

Crohn's disease. The authors conclude that CEACAM6 expression in

individuals with inflammatory bowel disease could be used as a

diagnostic marker for Crohn's disease.

###

TITLE: CEACAM6 acts as a receptor for adherent-invasive E. coli

supporting ileal mucosa colonization in Crohn disease

AUTHOR CONTACT:

Darfeuille-Michaud

Universite d'Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France.

Contact: Grindlinger

Journal of Clinical Investigation

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=72101