P269 - Serum pro-inflammatory cytokine concentrations in patients with Crohn's disease and osteoporosis

s of the 4th Congress of ECCO the European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation S117 of MMP-9 and MMP-26 positive neutrophils and stromal TIMP-1 and TIMP-3. Epithelial MMP-7 expression tended to be lower in post-treatment samples and could be in an important player in the mucosal wound healing response elicited by TNF-alphainhibitors. MMP-1 and MMP-10 do not seem to be important players in this process. P269 Serum pro-inflammatory cytokine concentrations in patients with Crohn’s disease and osteoporosis C. Zavos1 *, I. Koutroubakis1, M. Kamba2, M. Niniraki2, S. Kolyvaki2, I. Nerantzoulakis3, T. Voudouri1, E. Kouroumalis1. 1Department of Gastroenterology, University Hospital of Heraklion, Heraklion Crete, Greece, 2Department of Immunology, University Hospital of Heraklion, Heraklion Crete, Greece, 3Department of Radiology, University Hospital of Heraklion, Heraklion Crete, Greece Background: A high prevalence of low bone mineralisation (LBM) is observed in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), particularly in Crohn’s disease (CD). Chronic intestinal lesions of CD patients are associated with a Th1 type cytokine profile. The expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in intestinal mucosa from CD patients is markedly enhanced. Likewise, some of these cytokines, particularly interleukin (IL)-6, were found to play a role in the pathogenesis of postmenopausal osteoporosis. Aims: To investigate the role of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1b, -2, -4, -6, -8, -10, interferon (IFN)-g and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-a in CD patients with LBM, particularly in the cases with osteoporosis. Patients and Methods: Sixty-three consecutive CD patients were included in the study, of whom 18 (9 women, mean age: 31.7±7.2 years) had T-score > 1.0, considered as normal; 29 (14 women, mean age: 42.7±13.0 years) had T-score between 1.0 and 2.5, indicative of osteopenia; and 16 (7 women, mean age: 53.9±19.2 years) had T-score < 2.5, suggestive of osteoporosis. All patients underwent bone densitometry by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) at the femoral neck and lumbar spine levels (L1-L4). The serum concentrations of the afore-mentioned pro-inflammatory cytokines were determined by multiplex technique. Results: No significant differences in mean cytokine concentrations between patients with normal T-score and those with T-score suggesting osteopenia were found. On the other hand, significant differences between patients without LBM and those with osteoporosis were noticed. As shown in Table 1, IL-2, -6, -8, and -10 were found to be significantly elevated in CD patients with osteoporosis compared to those without LBM. Conversely, IFN-g, TNF-a, IL-1b, and IL-4 serum levels were similar in the 2 study groups. Patients with osteoporosis had similar CDAI and CRP levels to those without LBM.