Lymphoid cell subsets in colonic mucosa and HLA-DR antigens on colonic epithelia in colitis excluding ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.

Lymphoid cell subsets, including T cells as well as Ig-containing cells in the colonic mucosa and HLA-DR antigens on colonic epithelia, were examined in non-IBD colitis (colitis excluding ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease) by the indirect immunoperoxidase staining method. Mouse anti-CD5, CD8, CD4, IgG, IgA1, IgA2, IgM, IgD, IgE, HLA-DR, and NuIa monoclonal antibodies were used as the first antibody. The results were compared to those of the normal controls and UC. T cell subsets in non-IBD colitis were almost similar to those of the controls and UC. The number of Ig-containing cells of all classes, except for IgA, tended to be increased in non-IBD colitis. In particular, both IgG- and IgE-containing cells were significantly increased compared to those in the controls. Compared to UC, IgG-containing cells were decreased in non-IBD colitis. Namely, in non-IBD colitis, as well as in UC, the change of Ig-containing cells (B cell lineage) was more pronounced than that of T cells. The frequency of the expression of HLA-DR antigens on colonic epithelia in non-IBD colitis was 70%, which was significantly higher than that in controls (0%), but significantly lower than that in UC (100%). Whether the differences in the number of IgG-containing cells, and the frequency of epithelial HLA-DR expression between non-IBD colitis and UC was due to the differences of the degree of local inflammation or due to the differences of the nature of the two diseases was not elucidated in this study.