P073 An increased autophagy and decreased apoptosis is detected in intestinal fibroblasts from Crohn’s Disease patients

Abstract Background Fibrosis is a complication commonly present in Crohn’s disease (CD) patients with a structuring (B2) or penetrating (B3) phenotype, with no effective treatment. This process is characterized by a disequilibrium between the production and degradation of the extracellular matrix (ECM), mainly regulated by myofibroblasts. We aim to analyse here, the expression of markers of autophagy, apoptosis and proliferation in intestinal fibroblasts from CD patients. Methods Fibroblasts were isolated from the damaged intestinal mucosa of CD patients with a penetrating and stenotic behaviour. Control cells were obtained from the non-damaged intestine of patients with colorectal cancer. …