Altered expression of alpha 4 beta 7, a gut homing integrin, by circulating and mucosal T cells in colonic mucosal inflammation.

Abstract

Circulating and mucosal gut homing lymphocyte populations are changed in patients with colonic inflammation. This may arise due to a dilution effect from recruited naive T cells, or from integrin down regulation. Changes in general CD4+ lymphocyte populations mask more subtle variations in those cells with gut homing potential.