Aquaporin 8 expression is reduced in ileum and induced in colon of patients with Ulcerative Colitis

Aims: The current hypothesis concerning the etiology of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) suggests that environmental factors trigger a breakdown in the regulatory constraints of mucosal immune responses to enteric bacteria in genetically susceptible individuals. Aims: To identify potential susceptibility genes we performed global gene expression profiling in patients with IBD and control specimens. Methods: For determination of an intrinsic gene expression profile in Ulcerative Colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) compared to normal subjects, mucosal biopsies of non-inflamed regions of the colon and the termina…