Brief Article
Copyright ©2010 Baishideng. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. May 21, 2010; 16(19): 2396-2400
Published online May 21, 2010. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v16.i19.2396
Narrow-band imaging endoscopy to assess mucosal angiogenesis in inflammatory bowel disease: A pilot study
Silvio Danese, Gionata Fiorino, Erika Angelucci, Stefania Vetrano, Nico Pagano, Giacomo Rando, Antonino Spinelli, Alberto Malesci, Alessandro Repici
Silvio Danese, Gionata Fiorino, Erika Angelucci, Stefania Vetrano, Nico Pagano, Giacomo Rando, Alessandro Repici, Division of Gastroenterology, IRCCS Istituto Clinico Humanitas, Rozzano, Milan 20089, Italy
Antonino Spinelli, Department of Surgery, IRCCS Istituto Clinico Humanitas, Rozzano, Milan 20089, Italy
Alberto Malesci, Department of Translational Medicine, University of Milan, Milan 20100, Italy
Author contributions: Danese S and Repici A designed the study; Danese S, Repici A and Angelucci E analyzed the data and wrote the manuscript; Fiorino G, Vetrano S, Pagano N, Rando G and Spinelli A acquired, analyzed and interpreted the data; Malesci A critically revised the manuscript.
Correspondence to: Silvio Danese, MD, PhD, Division of Gastroenterology, IRCCS Istituto Clinico Humanitas, Viale Manzoni, Rozzano, Milan 20089, Italy. sdanese@hotmail.com
Telephone: +39-2-82244771 Fax: +39-2-82245101
Received: September 17, 2009
Revised: November 5, 2009
Accepted: November 12, 2009
Published online: May 21, 2010
Abstract

AIM: To investigate whether narrow band imaging (NBI) is a useful tool for the in vivo detection of angiogenesis in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients.

METHODS: Conventional and NBI colonoscopy was performed in 14 patients with colonic inflammation (8 ulcerative colitis and 6 Crohn’s disease). Biopsy samples were taken and CD31 expression was assayed immunohistochemically; microvascular density was assessed by vessel count.

RESULTS: In areas that were endoscopically normal but positive on NBI, there was a significant (P < 0.05) increase in angiogenesis (12 ± 1 vessels/field vs 18 ± 2 vessels/field) compared with areas negative on NBI. In addition, in areas that were inflamed on white light endoscopy and positive on NBI, there was a significant (P < 0.01) increase in vessel density (24 ± 7 vessels/field) compared with NBI-negative areas.

CONCLUSION: NBI may allow in vivo imaging of intestinal angiogenesis in IBD patients.

Keywords: Narrow-band imaging; Angiogenesis; Inflammatory bowel disease; Crohn’s disease; Ulcerative colitis