DECREASED BETA-ENDORPHIN CONTENT IN PERIPHERAL-BLOOD MONONUCLEAR LEUKOCYTES FROM PATIENTS WITH CROHNS-DISEASE

Increased activation of lymphocytes in inflammatory bowel disease is r eflected by alterations of various immunological functions including e nhanced spontaneous secretion of rheumatoid factor by mononuclear cell s. Since in rheumatic diseases increased secretion of rheumatoid facto r is associated with decreased levels of beta-endorphin in circulating blood mononuclear leukocytes, we investigated levels of leukocyte bet a-endorphin in inflammatory bowel disease and compared them with those in hepatobiliary disorders and in healthy subjects. Levels of beta-en dorphin were measured in extracts from peripheral blood mononuclear le ukocytes by radioimmunoassay. beta-Endorphin levels ranged from 0 to 6 7 pg/10(6) cells. Mononuclear leukocytes from ulcerative colitis patie nts contained as much beta-endorphin as those from healthy control sub jects. In patients with Crohn's disease, levels of beta-endorphin were reduced by as much as roughly 50%. An inverse relationship was found between leukocyte beta-endorphin on the one hand and erythrocyte sedim entation rate, blood granulocyte or thrombocyte counts, and C-reactive protein levels in plasma on the other. In patients with various hepat obiliary disorders including fatty liver disease, viral hepatitis, pri mary biliary cirrhosis, and cryptogenic or alcoholic cirrhosis, beta-e ndorphin levels were not significantly different from the normal range values. Data indicate that leukocyte beta-endorphin may be involved i n regulation of the systemic inflammatory activity of Crohn's disease. (C) 1994 Academic Press, Inc.