Tenascin is an extracellular matrix protein involved in morphogenesis of muscle tissue and in wound healing. In the present study we examined its distribution in tissue from patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Intestinal biopsies from 10 normal controls, 15 patients with Crohn's disease, and 6 with ulcerative colitis were studied. Samples were obtained both from uninvolved and involved areas. Mucosal tenascin is increased in ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, especially in areas of ulceration. In Crohn's disease, tenascin is also strongly expressed in the submucosa and in smooth muscle cells of the muscularis mucosae and propria, especially in areas of stricture. We conclude that tenascin is involved in stricture formation in Crohn's disease and that it is a marker of phenotypic change in smooth muscle cells.
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