Reduced hydrophobicity of the colonic mucosal surface in ulcerative colitis as a hint at a physicochemical barrier defect

There is increasing evidence that a defect of the gastrointestinal mucosal barrier is important for the development of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). The hydrophobicity of the colonic mucosal surface is a measure of its resistance to luminal antigens, e.g. of bacterial origin. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine this parameter in patients suffering from IBD. Nineteen patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), ten patients with...