Keratinocyte growth factor, activin and connective tissue growth factor: novel players in inflammatory bowel disease

摘要

Injury to adult tissues initiates a series of events including inflammation, new tissue formation and matrix remodelling which finally lead to repair of the lesion. However, in chronic inflammatory processes repair is often inhibited, and severe tissue destruction, fibrosis and finally loss of organ function can occur. The inflammatory reaction, the repair process, as well as the development of fibrosis are regulated by a wide variety of cytokines, growth and differentiation factors which have only partially been identified. Recent studies from our laboratory have provided insight into the roles of keratinocyte growth factor, activin and connective tissue growth factor in cutaneous wound repair as well as in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The latter is a multifactorial disease of the gut and comprises two major forms of severe intestinal inflammation: Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). Both chronic disorders are characterized by their unpredictable course with acute inflammatory phases followed by remission. Patients suffer from abdominal pain, weight loss, recurrent fever and diarrhoea.