Subcellular fractionation of human intestinal mucosa by large-scale zonal centrifugation. Characteristics of lysosomes and brush border membranes in the distal ileum of a patient with Crohn's disease.

Lysosomes and brush border membranes from diseased ileal mucosa of a patient with Crohn's disease were separated by rate zonal density gradient centrifugation. The organelles were located and characterized in the density gradient of assay of marker enzymes, and their enzyme content compared to that of similar organelles from normal tissue. The activity and latency of lysosomal enzymes (N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase and acid phosphatase) was significantly increased, whereas the activity of brush border alkaline phosphatase was rather decreased. The possible relevance of these findings to the pathophysiology of Crohn's disease is discussed.