Abstract
Exclusive enteral nutrition is established as an initial therapy to induce remission in active Crohn's disease (CD), especially in children, but the mechanisms of action of this therapy are yet to be fully defined. CEACAM6 protein is an adhesion molecule that is up-regulated in active CD and implicated in the attachment of adherent-invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC) to the gut epithelium. Using the Caco-2 human adenocarcinoma cell line, this study showed that the incubation of human cells with a polymeric formula (PF) resulted in a dose-dependent increase in the expression of CEACAM6, and that this effect was most noticeable on the cell surface. Further investigation revealed that PF doubled the release of CEACAM6 protein by Caco-2 cells exposed to PF, and that an increase in release of soluble CEACAM6 inversely correlated with the ability of AIEC to associate with the intestinal epithelial cells. Our findings suggest that the secretion of cell surface-associated proteins acting as releasable decoys may be an aspect of the gut's innate immune response to pathogenic bacteria that is strengthened by PF in the setting of CD.