Fig. 2

Dysfunctional goblet cells and Crohn’s disease. Dysfunction of goblet cells will cause a series of consequences which could lead to the pathogenesis of the Crohn’s disease. Dysfunctional goblet cells will cause poor mucus healing when the mucus secretion is abnormal. This will further lead to the pathogenic bacteria invasion into inner environment of enterocytes. The aftermath of the invasion is that inflammatory response was turned on and the normal development of the immune system was suspended. Mucins and cytokines secretion are also ceased. Recruitment of CD4⁺ cells stopped since mucins like RELEMβ has a regulatory effect on this process. All of these will lead to the abnormal immune reaction in the enterocytes and cause Crohn’s disease