Association of colonic metaplasia of goblet cells and endoscopic phenotypes of the J pouch in patients with ulcerative colitis: a retrospective pilot study

• Published in: Intestinal research (Intest Res) Vol. 22; no. 1; pp. 92 - 103
• Main Authors: Shintaro Akiyama, Tsubasa Onoda, Shoko Moue, Noriaki Sakamoto, Taku Sakamoto, Hideo Suzuki, Tsuyoshi Enomoto, Daisuke Matsubara, Tatsuya Oda, Kiichiro Tsuchiya
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Korean
• Published: 대한장연구학회 30.01.2024
• Subjects: Goblet cells; Phenotype; Pouchitis; Sulfomucin; Ulcerative colitis
• ISSN: 1598-9100

Background/Aims: Mucosal adaptation of the ileum toward colonic epithelium has been reported in pouchitis in ulcerative colitis (UC); however, the clinical characteristics, endoscopic findings, and outcomes in patients with pouchitis with ileal mucosal adaptation are poorly understood. Methods: This was a single-center retrospective study comprising UC patients treated by proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis who had undergone pouchoscopy at the University of Tsukuba Hospital between 2005 and 2022. Endoscopic phenotypes were evaluated according to the Chicago classification. High-iron diamine staining (HID) was performed to identify sulfomucin (colon-type mucin)-producing goblet cells (GCs) in pouch biopsies. We compared clinical data between patients with (high HID group) and without > 10% sulfomucin-producing GCs in at least one biopsy (low HID group). Results: We reviewed 390 endoscopic examination reports from 50 patients. Focal inflammation was the most common phenotype (78%). Five patients (10%) required diverting ileostomy. Diffuse inflammation and fistula were significant risk factors for diverting ileostomy. The median proportion of sulfomucin-producing GCs on histological analysis of 82 pouch biopsies from 23 patients was 9.9% (range, 0%-93%). The duration of disease was significantly greater in the high HID group compared to the low HID group. The median percentage of sulfomucin-producing GCs was significantly higher in patients with diffuse inflammation or fistula compared to other endoscopic phenotypes (14% vs. 6.0%, P= 0.011). Conclusions: Greater proportions of sulfomucin-producing GCs were observed in endoscopic phenotypes associated with poor outcomes in UC, indicating patients with pouchitis showing colonic metaplasia of GCs may benefit from early interventions. (Intest Res 2024;22:92-103)