INCREASED GROUP-II PHOSPHOLIPASE A(2) IN COLONIC MUCOSA OF PATIENTS WITH CROHNS-DISEASE AND ULCERATIVE-COLITIS

The immunochemical protein content of group II phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)) and PLA(2) enzymatic activity were measured for colonic mucosal biopsy samples obtained from patients with either Crohn's disease of the colon or ulcerative colitis, and control patients without inflammatory bowel disease. Immunoreactive group II PLA(2) (IR-PLA(2) II) content and PLA(2) activity in actively inflamed colonic mucosa of Crohn's disease patients were significantly higher than those in inactively inflamed mucosa of Crohn's disease patients and the colonic mucosa of controls. IR-PLA(2) II content and PLA(2) activity in severely inflamed mucosa of ulcerative colitis patients were significantly higher than those in the colonic mucosa of the controls. Mucosal PLA(2) enzymatic activity was closely correlated with mucosal IR-PLA(2) II content in patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. These results suggest that an increase in PLA(2) enzymatic activity in inflamed colonic mucosa of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis was mainly attributed to increased protein content of group II PLA(2), and that an increase in mucosal group II PLA(2) may be involved in the pathogenesis of intestinal inflammation of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.