Wang Haogeng, Huang Taixi, Ma Yuxia
School of Acupuncture and Tuina, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China.
Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Classical Theory, Ministry of Education, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China.
Front Immunol. 2025 Aug 29;16:1615340. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1615340. eCollection 2025.
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a kind of chronic inflammatory bowel disease, is driven by dysregulated immune responses involving neutrophils (NEUs) and macrophages. NEUs exacerbate mucosal injury through reactive oxygen species (ROS), neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), proteases, and cytokine interactions, while also exhibiting dual roles in tissue repair. Macrophages contribute to UC progression via M1-mediated pro-inflammatory cytokine release and epithelial barrier disruption, whereas M2 macrophages promote resolution through anti-inflammatory signals (IL-10, TGF-β) and epithelial regeneration. Clinically, NEU-derived biomarkers predict disease activity and therapeutic response, while macrophage-targeted therapies modulate inflammation. This review summairzes current knowledge on the mechanistic roles of these immune cells in UC pathogenesis and their clinical implications, such as NET inhibition, MMP-9 blockade, and M2 polarization, which hold promise for precision medicine in UC.
溃疡性结肠炎（UC）是一种慢性炎症性肠病，由涉及中性粒细胞（NEUs）和巨噬细胞的免疫反应失调驱动。中性粒细胞通过活性氧（ROS）、中性粒细胞胞外陷阱（NETs）、蛋白酶和细胞因子相互作用加剧粘膜损伤，同时在组织修复中也发挥双重作用。巨噬细胞通过M1介导的促炎细胞因子释放和上皮屏障破坏促进UC进展，而M2巨噬细胞则通过抗炎信号（IL-10、TGF-β）和上皮再生促进炎症消退。临床上，源自中性粒细胞的生物标志物可预测疾病活动和治疗反应，而针对巨噬细胞的疗法可调节炎症。本综述总结了目前关于这些免疫细胞在UC发病机制中的作用及其临床意义的知识，如NET抑制、MMP-9阻断和M2极化，这些为UC的精准医学带来了希望。
