aDivision of Gastroenterology, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Rozzano, Milan, Italy bDepartment of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Digestive Disease Institute cDepartment of Pathobiology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio, USA *Authors Silvia D'Alessio and Carlotta Tacconi share co-first authorship.
Curr Opin Gastroenterol. 2013 Nov;29(6):608-13. doi: 10.1097/MOG.0b013e328365d37c.
The review summarizes the current knowledge of the roles played by the vascular and lymphatic endothelium throughout the gut in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and gives an update on emerging strategies targeting both vasculatures.
Enormous efforts have been made to understand the mechanisms underlining the origin, development and maintenance of intestinal chronic inflammation. In particular, new studies focused their attention on the role played by the microvascular and lymphatic endothelium in the pathogenesis of IBD. During inflammation, whereas the microvasculature is responsible for the entry and distribution of immune cells in the mucosa, the lymphatic system controls leukocyte exit, bacterial clearance and edema absorption. The study of these events, which are aberrant during chronic inflammation, has resulted in the identification and validation of several targets for the treatment of experimental colitis, some of which have translated into effective treatments for patients with IBD.
Although much attention has been paid to the microvascular endothelium and to antiangiogenic therapies, specific studies on the lymphatic vasculature and its functions in IBD are still at the initial stage, and other molecular mechanisms, genes, molecules and new pathways must definitely be explored.
本文总结了血管和淋巴管内皮在胃肠道中对炎症性肠病（IBD）发病机制的作用的最新认识，并更新了针对这两种血管的新兴治疗策略。
人们已经做出巨大努力来了解导致肠道慢性炎症的起源、发展和维持的机制。特别是，新的研究集中在微血管和淋巴管内皮在 IBD 发病机制中的作用。在炎症过程中，微血管负责免疫细胞进入和分布在黏膜中，而淋巴系统控制白细胞的排出、细菌清除和水肿吸收。对这些在慢性炎症过程中异常的事件的研究，已经确定和验证了几种治疗实验性结肠炎的靶点，其中一些已经转化为治疗 IBD 患者的有效治疗方法。
尽管人们已经对微血管内皮和抗血管生成治疗给予了极大关注，但关于淋巴管血管及其在 IBD 中的功能的具体研究仍处于初始阶段，其他分子机制、基因、分子和新途径肯定需要进一步探索。
