Role of Adherent-Invasive Escherichia coli in Crohn's Disease

The gut patients affected by Crohn's disease (CD), are abnormally colonized by pathogenic Adherent-Invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC) able to invade the intestinal epithelial cells and macrophages, and also to replicate in lysosomal vacuoles via binding CEACAM6 and LAMP1 receptors, respectively. In this study we tested the pathogenic role of two AIEC strains, LF82 and O83:H1, analyzing CEACAM6, LAMP1 and TNF-a expression in organ cultures of CD patients.