TY - JOUR
T1 - Quantifying intraepithelial lymphocytes and subepithelial collagen band in microscopic colitis, extracting insights into the interrelationship of lymphocytic and collagenous colitis
AU - Engel, Peter Johan Heiberg
AU - Fiehn, Anne-Marie Kanstrup
AU - Goudkade, Danny
AU - Thagaard, Jeppe
AU - Holten-Rossing, Henrik
AU - Landolfi, Stefania
AU - Villanacci, Vincenzo
AU - Munck, Lars Kristian
N1 - Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
PY - 2021/6
Y1 - 2021/6
N2 - Microscopic colitis (MC) is the umbrella term for the conditions termed lymphocytic colitis (LC) and collagenous colitis (CC). LC with thickening of the subepithelial collagen band or CC with increased number of intraepithelial T- lymphocytes (IELs) is often seen in MC and may lead to difficulties in correct histological classification. We investigated the extent of overlapping features of CC and LC in 60 cases of MC by measuring the exact thickness of the subepithelial collagen band in Van Gieson stained slides and quantifying number of IELs in CD3 stained slides by digital image analysis. A thickened collagen band was observed in nine out of 29 cases with LC (31%) and an increased number of IELs in all 23 cases of CC (100%). There was no correlation between the thickness of the collagen band and number of IELs. Due to the increased number of IELs in all cases of CC we consider the lymphocytic inflammatory infiltration of the mucosa to be the essential histopathological feature of MC. However, although LC and CC are related due to the lymphocytic inflammation, the non-linear correlation of number of IELs and thickness of the collagenous band indicate differences in their pathogenesis.
AB - Microscopic colitis (MC) is the umbrella term for the conditions termed lymphocytic colitis (LC) and collagenous colitis (CC). LC with thickening of the subepithelial collagen band or CC with increased number of intraepithelial T- lymphocytes (IELs) is often seen in MC and may lead to difficulties in correct histological classification. We investigated the extent of overlapping features of CC and LC in 60 cases of MC by measuring the exact thickness of the subepithelial collagen band in Van Gieson stained slides and quantifying number of IELs in CD3 stained slides by digital image analysis. A thickened collagen band was observed in nine out of 29 cases with LC (31%) and an increased number of IELs in all 23 cases of CC (100%). There was no correlation between the thickness of the collagen band and number of IELs. Due to the increased number of IELs in all cases of CC we consider the lymphocytic inflammatory infiltration of the mucosa to be the essential histopathological feature of MC. However, although LC and CC are related due to the lymphocytic inflammation, the non-linear correlation of number of IELs and thickness of the collagenous band indicate differences in their pathogenesis.
U2 - 10.1016/j.anndiagpath.2021.151741
DO - 10.1016/j.anndiagpath.2021.151741
M3 - Article
C2 - 33865186
SN - 1092-9134
VL - 52
SP - 151741
JO - Annals of Diagnostic Pathology
JF - Annals of Diagnostic Pathology
ER -