INCREASED NUMBERS OF MACROPHAGES IN NONINFLAMED GASTRODUODENAL MUCOSAOF PATIENTS WITH CROHNS-DISEASE

We investigated immunostained macrophages in the noninflamed mucosa of Crohn's disease patients, Biopsied specimens from endoscopically norm al gastroduodenal mucosa of Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and h ealthy control patients were studied. Sections were examined immunohis tochemically using a monoclonal antibody specific for tissue macrophag es (CD68), Immunostained mucosal macrophages in the second part of the duodenum, duodenal bulb, gastric antrum, and gastric body of the Croh n's disease group were more numerous than in the ulcerative colitis an d control groups. The characteristic findings of Crohn's disease were aggregations, focal subepithelial dense accumulations, and infiltratio n throughout the mucosa of macrophages not accompanied by a lymphoid i nfiltrate. The number of macrophages in the gastroduodenal mucosa bore no relationship with the duration of symptoms, clinical activity, or affected site in the intestine, This suggests that the increased numbe r of macrophages in noninflamed mucosa is a histological change charac teristic for Crohn's disease that indicates a persistent latent abnorm ality involving the entire gastrointestinal tract.