Th1 chemokines in ulcerative colitis

Many studies have shown that chemokine (C-X-C motif) receptor (CXCR)3 (a chemokine receptor in the CXC family) and its ligand chemokines, monokine induced by interferon (IFN)-γ(MIG), IFN-γ-inducible protein 10 (IP-10) and IFN-inducible T-cell α chemoattractant (I-TAC), are strongly overexpressed in the intestinal mucosa of mice with experimental colitis, and in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) both in lymphocytes, in macrophages and in epithelial cells. IFN-γ induces CXCR3 and its chemokines expression in epithelial colonic cells; MIG, IP-10 and I-TAC are important for the recruitment of granulocytes and mononuclear cells and thus for the maintenance of inflammation in UC. Serum IP-10 levels reflected UC disease activity, and it may be a marker for the responsiveness of patients to treatments. Recently, a phase II study suggested that an anti-IP-10 antibody, BMS-936557, is a potentially effective therapy for moderately-to-severely active UC.