Διερεύνηση του πιθανού διαμεσολαβητικού ρόλου των πρωτεϊνών θερμικού shock ανάμεσα στο ψυχοφυσιολογικό στρες και τις οργανικές παθήσεις
Objective – To investigate the hypothesis that depression and anxiety levelscould beassociatedwith theinduction of theantiapoptoticHeatShock Protein70 (HSP70) inthe colon of patients with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD),namelyulcerativecolitis(UC)andCrohn‟sdisease(CD).Methods- 54 consecutive, hospitalized IBD patients in relapse gave theirinformed consent, filled out psychometric questionnaires [Zung DepressionRatingScale(ZDRS),SpielbergerState-TraitAnxietyInventory(STAIFormXI,IIas a state andas a trait), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)].Simultaneously, intestinal biopsies were taken to be diagnosed in a blindedmanner by two pathologists. The type and severity of inflammation wereassessedoneachsection withhematoxylin/eosinstaining.Thelocalizationandintensity of expression ofHSP70 expression were studiedimmunohistochemically.Results:31/54patientssufferedfromactiveUC,14fromCDand9wereinremission.InducibleHSP70(HSP70i)wasscarcelydetectableintheintestinalmucosa of UC and CD patients. There was statistically significant correlationbetween depression and anxiety levels and inducible HSP70 in thepolymorphonuclearcells(PMN)ofpatientswithactiveUC.Conclusion: Inducible HSP70 is clearly expressed in PMN cells of IBD patientsand in patients with active UC this finding positively correlates with thedepression and anxiety levels. Given the antiapoptotic, cytoprotective effect ofHSP70onPMNcells and thedestructiverole thatPMNcellsexertonintestinalmucosa of IBD patients, light could be shed on the psychosomatic aspect ofautoimmunityinthesediseases.