High prevalence of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis IS900 DNA in gut tissues from individuals with Crohn’s disease

• Published in: Gut Vol. 54; no. 7; pp. 944 - 949
• Main Authors: Autschbach, F, Eisold, S, Hinz, U, Zinser, S, Linnebacher, M, Giese, T, Löffler, T, Büchler, M W, Schmidt, J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and British Society of Gastroenterology 01.07.2005; BMJ Publishing Group LTD; Copyright 2005 by Gut
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Alcohol; bacterial control; Colitis, Ulcerative - microbiology; Crohn Disease - microbiology; Crohns disease; Crohn’s disease; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; DNA, Bacterial - analysis; Female; Genetic testing; Histopathology; Humans; IBD; Inflammatory Bowel Disease; interquartile range; Intestines - microbiology; IQR; Male; Middle Aged; Mycobacterium avium; Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis - isolation & purification; Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis; nIBD; non-inflammatory bowel disease; Paratuberculosis - complications; PCR; Phenols; polymerase chain reaction; Polymerase Chain Reaction - methods; room temperature; ulcerative colitis
• ISSN: 0017-5749; 1468-3288; 1458-3288
• DOI: 10.1136/gut.2004.045526

Background and aims: Conflicting results exist about the presence of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) specific IS900 DNA in Crohn’s disease (CD) tissues. Therefore, we examined IS900 in a large number of gut samples from patients with CD (n = 100) and ulcerative colitis (UC, n = 100), and in non-inflamed control tissues (nIBD, n = 100). We hypothesised that IS900 DNA detection might be associated with distinct clinical phenotypic characteristics in CD. Methods: The prevalence of MAP DNA in surgically resected tissues was examined using a mechanical-enzymatic disruption technique and nested IS900 specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR). CD patients were stratified according to the criteria of the Vienna classification and other clinical characteristics. Results: IS900 PCR detection rate was significantly higher in CD tissue samples (52%) than in UC (2%) or nIBD (5%) specimens (p<0.0001). In CD patients, IS900 DNA was detected in samples from both diseased small bowel (47%) as well as from the colon (61%). No firm association between MAP specific IS900 detection rates and clinical phenotypic characteristics in CD could be established. However, corticosteroid medication constituted a factor which tended to have a negative influence on IS900 DNA detection rates in CD (p<0.01). Conclusions: The presence of MAP specific IS900 DNA is a predominant feature of CD. Therapeutic intervention against MAP might represent a potential target for disease mitigation in Crohn’s disease.