Impaired Deoxyribonuclease I Activity in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

Abstract EN

Background and Aims.

Deoxyribonuclease I (DNaseI) is an endonuclease that facilitates chromatin breakdown and promotes susceptibility to autoimmune disorders.

The aim of current study was to investigate serum DNase I activity in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD).

Patients and Methods.

A cohort of 110 IBD patients was evaluated, aged 35 ± 12 years, 77 with Crohn's disease (CD) and 33 with ulcerative colitis (UC).

50 SLE patients and 50 healthy blood donors were examined as control groups.

Results.

DNase I activity in IBD patients was significantly lower than in healthy individuals, but higher than in SLE patients (P<.0001).

Patients with UC showed higher DNase I activity than CD patients, P=.21.

DNase I activity in female patients with IBD was significantly lower than in males, P=.024; however, no differences in DNase I activity were found in relation to gender in healthy individuals.

DNase I activity has shown a strong negative correlation with the serum concentration of anti-nucleosomal antibodies in the autoimmune (SLE + IBD) cohort, as well as in the separate IBD cohort.

Conclusions.

Reduced serum DNase I activity probably has pathogenetic consequences in IBD.

Induction of autoantibodies towards nucleosomes could be a reflection of impaired DNase I activity.