[Morphofunctional regeneration of epithelial cells in the colon and apudocytes in the pathogenesis and prognosis of the course of non-specific ulcerous colitis].

One hundred twenty patients with nonspecific ulcerative colitis (NUC) were examined. The patients were divided into three groups equal in number according to the severity of the disease. The controls were 24 practically healthy individuals, 64 patients with irritated bowel syndrome (IBS) without pathological changes in the colon mucosa, and 64 IBS patients with atrophic or inflammatory changes in the colon mucosa. The study showed that the development of NUC was associated with an abrupt decrease in the level of proliferation markers (cycline D, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen - PCNA) in the epithelial cells of the sigmoid colon. Their number progressively decreases in more severe cases, while cell apoptosis intensifies. Such changes in cell renewal are closely connected with the functional and structural rebuilding of the diffuse endocrine system, which manifests in an increase of the total number of apudocytes as well as serotonin- and melatonin-producing cells together with a decrease in the number of VIP-producing cells.