IN VITRO STUDIES OF ULCERATIVE COLITIS

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Abstract
Freshly isolated fetal human colon cells were labeled with P32-orthophosphate or C14-amino acids and exposed to white blood cells from 14 children with ulcerative colitis or from 18 controls. After 150 min. of incubation, 75% of the isotope in the cells was found in the media of the colitis samples but only 40% in those of the controls. Similar results were obtained with either fresh white cells or 12-18 hrs old samples, essentially free from polymorphs. Normal white cells were not sensitized by previous exposure to patients'' sera. The cytotoxic action of the patients'' white cells was immunologically specific and the cells could be desensitized by previous exposure to colon extract. For obtaining a significant cytotoxic effect, the presence of 10-20% of fresh guinea pig or human serum was required.