{
  "abstract": "Microscopic colitis (MC) is an inflammatory bowel disease characterized by chronic watery diarrhea. Although barrier dysfunction and immune activation are implicated, underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The aim of this study was to characterize enteric glial cells (EGC) and mast cell distribution across MC subtypes, assess treatment effects, and explore EGC-related gene expression and barrier markers. Colonic biopsies from patients with active collagenous colitis (aCC), budesonide-refractory CC (rCC), and active lymphocytic colitis (LC) were compared to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), ulcerative colitis (UC), and healthy controls (HC). A subset of CC patients was studied during active disease (aCC) and in clinical remission due to budesonide treatment (tCC). Immunofluorescence quantified EGC positive for glial fibrillary acidic protein (EGCGFAP+) and S100 calcium-binding protein B (EGCS100β+), mast cell tryptase, and tight junction proteins. RNA-sequencing assessed EGC-related gene expression. Results showed that EGCGFAP+ were highest in rCC and decreased following budesonide treatment in aCC, whereas EGCS100β+ were highest in aCC, remained unchanged following treatment, resembled IBS, and were reduced compared with UC. Mast cell numbers were higher in aCC than in HC and rCC but remained unchanged following treatment, while mast cell degranulation decreased after treatment. Tight junction proteins were unchanged. RNA-sequencing indicated differential regulation of EGC-related genes. In conclusion, MC shows subtype-specific alterations involving EGC and mast cells, suggesting distinct glial states and differential treatment responsiveness. Our findings support the presence of distinct neuroimmune alterations in CC and LC and highlight EGC as potential contributors to MC pathophysiology.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, 58185 Linköping, Sweden.",
    "Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Christian-Albrechts-University and University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, 24105 Kiel, Germany.",
    "Department of Paediatrics and Immunology, University of Valladolid, 47003 Valladolid, Spain.",
    "Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Linköping University Hospital, 58185 Linköping, Sweden.",
    "Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Linköping University, 58185 Linköping, Sweden.",
    "Department of Gastroenterology, Institute for Digestive Research, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, 50009 Kaunas, Lithuania."
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 12,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Julie Beaudeau",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-3952-5926"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Celia Escudero-Hernández",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-8906-3101"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Vittorio Abruzzese"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3,
        4
      ],
      "name": "Georgios Katinios",
      "orcid": "0009-0001-5476-6082"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3,
        4
      ],
      "name": "Gustav Orell",
      "orcid": "0009-0003-1447-9382"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3,
        4
      ],
      "name": "Nawroz Barazanji"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3,
        4
      ],
      "name": "Susanna Walter",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-3463-9705"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3,
        4
      ],
      "name": "Henrik Hjortswang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5
      ],
      "name": "Vytautas Kiudelis"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5
      ],
      "name": "Juozas Kupčinskas",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-8760-7416"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3,
        4
      ],
      "name": "Andreas Münch"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Åsa V Keita",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-6820-0215"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4rnxq6sjre7tc.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3390/cells15191778",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13664090",
  "id": "4rnxq6sjre7tc",
  "issns": [
    "2073-4409"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42882476",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2713|Microscopic Colitis"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7214792483",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13664090?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13664090",
  "pmid": "42882476",
  "published": "2026-09-29",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4rnxq6sjre7tc.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:19:16Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42882476",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42882476"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2713|Microscopic Colitis",
      "subfield": "epidemiology-public-health"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Differential Enteric Glial and Mast Cell Characteristics Distinguish Microscopic Colitis Subtypes Relative to Healthy and Disease Controls, with Treatment-Associated Reductions in Glial Reactivity and Mast Cell Degranulation in Collagenous Colitis.",
  "title_text": "Differential Enteric Glial and Mast Cell Characteristics Distinguish Microscopic Colitis Subtypes Relative to Healthy and Disease Controls, with Treatment-Associated Reductions in Glial Reactivity and Mast Cell Degranulation in Collagenous Colitis.",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:19:16Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4rnxq6sjre7tc",
  "venue": "Cells",
  "versions": []
}