Chapters authored
The Role of Mesenteric Adipose Tissue in Crohn’s Disease
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has become an increasingly frequent chronic health problem in the last few decades, particularly in developing countries. In young adults, one of the most common forms of IBD is Crohn’s disease (CD). CD is a multifactorial genetic disease characterized by a transmural granulomatous inflammation that especially affects the terminal ileum and the colon. As it involves defective inflammatory pathways, the immune adaptive complex, and environmental factors, this disease has periods of remission and recurrence followed by diarrhea, abdominal pain, and malnutrition, which often lead to lumen bowel stenosis associated to multiple fistulas. In addition, the growth of mesenteric adipose tissue (MAT) near the affected intestinal area is a hallmark of CD. Evidence linking the development of mesenteric and intestinal alterations in CD is increasing. The aim of this chapter is to address adipose tissue in general, the morphological and functional differences between its compartments, the main characteristics of MAT in CD, and its possible role in the etiopathology of this immune-mediated disease.
Part of the book: Adipose Tissue
Osteoarthritis as a Chronic Inflammatory Disease: A Review of the Inflammatory Markers
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most prevalent joint disease and a common cause of joint pain, functional loss, and disability. In addition to macroscopic features, such as cartilage degradation with subchondral bone remodeling, hypertrophy of the joint capsule, and osteophytes formation, several cellular and molecular alterations are present in OA, which lead to a chronic low-grade inflammation. Inflammatory mediators observed in OA joints are thought to be the downstream effectors of the pathogenesis of the disease. Although cytokines are among the most extensively studied mediators of inflammation, such as IL-1β and TNF, there has been an increase in studies showing the contribution of chemokines and adipokines in OA progression. This fact is supported by recent progress, which has considerably improved knowledge of the factors involved in the development of OA and the mechanisms responsible for its progression. Therefore, the aim of this chapter is to discuss the involvement of the inflammatory response in OA maintenance, focusing on the main inflammatory markers observed in studies with OA.
Part of the book: Osteoarthritis Biomarkers and Treatments