Sex-related peripheral immune profile in ulcerative colitis: links to fatigue

14 May 20264 min read0 viewsJournal Feed

GIST (Key Takeaways)

Background. Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory disease marked by mucosal and systemic immune dysregulation. Fatigue is a common, burdensome extraintestinal symptom that often persists beyond active inflammation and affects quality of life. Sex-based differences in immune response and fatigue severity have been reported, but their mechanistic basis remain unclear.
This study aimed to characterize peripheral immune profiles across UC disease stages and explore links between immunity, fatigue, and sex. Methods. Eighty-nine individuals were enrolled: active UC (A; n=29), remission (R; n=30), and healthy controls (C; n=30). Flow cytometry assessed peripheral neutrophils, monocytes, dendritic cells (DCs), and T cell subsets, alongside plasma cytokines (BDNF, TNF, IL-6, IL-18, sTREM-2).
Fatigue was evaluated using the validated Inflammatory Bowel Disease Fatigue (IBD-F) questionnaire, with sex-stratified correlation analyses. Results. Active UC was associated with increased neutrophils and classical monocyte, alongside elevated TNF, BDNF, and sTREM-2. Upregulated CD62L expression and CCR2 expression in neutrophils and monocyte subsets indicated ongoing immune cell trafficking.
During remission, increased plasmacytoid and CD141+ DCs, and Th9/Th22 cells suggested protective immune modulation.