PURPOSE: The ulcerative colitis is a major chronic intestinal disease of unknown etiology affecting principally the rectum and left colon, and its incidence is markedly increasing in Korea. The main differential diagnosis of ulcerative colitis is an acute self-limited colitis. This study was performed to evaluate difference of cell kinetics between chronic ulcerative colitis and acute self-limited colitis. METHODS: The normal colon (n=25), acute self-limited colitis (n=25) and chronic ulcerative colitis (n=25) were investigated by using Ki-67 immunohistochemical staining for proliferation and TUNEL method for apoptosis. The Ki-67 labeling indices and TUNEL labeling indices were determined. RESULTS: The means of Ki-67 labeling indices in normal colon, acute self-limited colitis and chronic ulcerative colitis were 5.14 5.25%, 6.81 5.73%, 13.10 10.15%, respectively. And the means of TUNEL labeling indices in normal colon, acute self-limited colitis and chronic ulcerative colitis were 1.59 0.10%, 2.54 1.60%, 2.51 1.40%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The apoptosis is one of method of cell loss in both acute self-limited colitis and chronic ulcerative colitis. High proliferative activity of chronic ulcerative colitis may predispose to mutational events in colonic mucosa, therefore may be one of the increased cancer risk factors in chronic ulcerative colitis.
Apoptosis ; Cell Proliferation* ; Colitis* ; Colitis, Ulcerative ; Colon ; Diagnosis, Differential ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; Incidence ; Intestinal Diseases ; Kinetics ; Korea ; Mucous Membrane ; Rectum ; Risk Factors ; Ulcer*