Degeneration of the Pericryptal Myofibroblast Sheath by Proinflammatory Cytokines in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

The subepithelial myofibroblasts of the epithelial sheath are disrupted in the intestinal mucosa of patients with IBD. A loss of myofibroblasts appears to result from the susceptibility of these cells to proinflammatory cytokines.