Increased expression of interleukin-8 mRNA in ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease mucosa and epithelial cells

Interleukin-8 (IL-8) is a chemotactic cytokine (chemokine), which both attracts and activates granulocytes. IL-8 could have a central function in the initiation and perpetuation of the inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), due to its relative resistance to inactivation and long half-life in vivo. Using a quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay, we have observed elevated levels of IL-8 mRNA in colonic mucosal sections obtained from surgically resected specimens from ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) patients with actively inflamed mucosa. The level of IL-8 mRNA expression in the intestinal mucosal biopsies from UC and CD patients was much greater in involved as opposed to noninvolved mucosal sections. The highest expression of IL-8 mRNA detected by RT-PCR was in UC mucosa and in isolated intestinal epithelial cells from UC patients. Increased IL-8 production by cells in IBD intestinal mucosa as well as IBD epithelial cells may be involved in the continuous attraction and activation of granulocytes in the inflamed intestine in both UC and CD patients. Chemokines, such as IL-8, are potent chemoat-tractant molecules and may have a central role in the augmentation and perpetuation of inflammation in IBD.