What is Paneth cell metaplasia?

Paneth cell metaplasia means that a pathologist saw Paneth cells in a tissue sample from the left side of the colon. This change is abnormal and is considered a sign of long-term damage to the tissue on the inside of the colon.

Does ileum have Paneth cells?

Paneth cells are implicated in both the pathogenesis of and the response to IBD. Decreased Paneth cell activity in the terminal ileum in a subset of patients with ileal CD who have mutations of the susceptibility gene NOD2 may be an early or initiating factor in their disease [6, 7, 21].

Are Paneth cells dysfunction in patients with Crohn’s disease?

Taken together, current evidence suggest that defective Paneth cells may play the key role in initiating inflammation in ileal, and maybe ileocecal, Crohn’s disease by allowing bacterial attachment and invasion.

What is the function of Paneth cells?

Paneth cells are highly specialized secretory epithelial cells located in the small intestinal crypts of Lieberkühn. The dense granules produced by Paneth cells contain an abundance of antimicrobial peptides and immunomodulating proteins that function to regulate the composition of the intestinal flora.

What does Paneth mean?

: any of the granular epithelial cells with large acidophilic nuclei occurring at the base of the crypts of Lieberkühn in the small intestine and appendix.

What role do altered genes in Paneth cells play in the patient’s illness?

Altered expression of antimicrobial peptides secondary to expression of the mutant NOD2 gene in Paneth cells could lead to abnormal colonisation of the small bowel with microbes, which may provoke chronic inflammation via adaptive immune mechanisms.

What stimulates Paneth cells?

Paneth cells are stimulated to secrete defensins when exposed to bacteria (both Gram positive and negative types) or such bacterial products as lipopolysaccharide, muramyl dipeptide and lipid A. These cells also secrete lysozyme and phospholipase A2, both of which have clear antimicrobial activity.

Does stomach have Paneth cells?

Intestinal metaplasia of the stomach is characterised by morphological similarity to the enterocytes, Paneth cells, and goblet cells; it shows characteristics of absorbing mucosa, the presence of a striated border, and brush border structures.