{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,16]],"date-time":"2026-04-16T11:11:38Z","timestamp":1776337898815,"version":"3.51.2"},"reference-count":32,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,16]],"date-time":"2026-04-16T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1776297600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Pathogens"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Crohn\u2019s disease (CD) is frequently accompanied by T-cell lymphopenia and impaired mucosal immunity, conditions that may predispose to intestinal microsporidiosis by Encephalitozoon cuniculi. This prospective case\u2013control study examined the interplay between IL-7\/IL-7 receptor (IL-7R) signaling and anti-E. cuniculi immune responses in 50 CD patients and 50 matched healthy controls. Serum IL-7 and anti-E. cuniculi IgG, IgM, IgA and IgE were quantified by ELISA, while intestinal expression of IL-7, CD127 (IL-7R\u03b1) and CD132 (IL-7R\u03b3) was assessed by RT-PCR. Protein levels of IL-7 and caspase-3 were evaluated by Western blot, and lymphocyte subsets and apoptosis by flow cytometry. CD patients showed reduced anti-E. cuniculi IgG and IgM levels but increased seropositivity, indicating compromised humoral quality despite greater exposure. Compared with controls, CD was associated with decreased serum IL-7, increased mucosal IL-7, downregulated CD132, and diminished caspase-3, suggesting a disrupted IL-7\/IL-7R-apoptosis pathway. In CD, IgA- and IgE-skewed responses correlated differentially with caspase-3 and CD56+ \u03b3\u03b4 T cells, while E. cuniculi seropositivity independently predicted a shorter surgery-free interval. These findings identify a profound dysregulation of the IL-7\/IL-7R-CD132-caspase-3 axis in CD and implicate E. cuniculi exposure as a potential marker of impaired mucosal immunity and adverse outcomes.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/pathogens15040429","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,16]],"date-time":"2026-04-16T10:14:46Z","timestamp":1776334486000},"page":"429","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Dysregulated IL-7\/IL-7R-CD132 Axis and Intestinal Microsporidiosis in Crohn\u2019s Disease"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0364-7742","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Carolina","family":"Hurtado-Marcos","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Universidad CEU San Pablo, CEU Universities, Urbanizaci\u00f3n Montepr\u00edncipe, 28660 Boadilla del Monte, Spain"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0367-007X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Fernando","family":"Izquierdo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Universidad CEU San Pablo, CEU Universities, Urbanizaci\u00f3n Montepr\u00edncipe, 28660 Boadilla del Monte, Spain"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5218-6308","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Soledad","family":"Fenoy","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Universidad CEU San Pablo, CEU Universities, Urbanizaci\u00f3n Montepr\u00edncipe, 28660 Boadilla del Monte, Spain"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0063-7899","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Carmen del","family":"\u00c1guila","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Universidad CEU San Pablo, CEU Universities, Urbanizaci\u00f3n Montepr\u00edncipe, 28660 Boadilla del Monte, Spain"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7304-6227","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jaume","family":"P\u00e9rez-Griera","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory Department, University Clinical Hospital, 46010 Valencia, Spain"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0794-6937","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Salvador","family":"Benlloch","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Digestive Departament, Arnau de Vilanova Hospital, 46015 Valencia, Spain"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Cirilo","family":"Amor\u00f3s","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Digestive Departament, Arnau de Vilanova Hospital, 46015 Valencia, Spain"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Carlos Garc\u00eda","family":"Ballesteros","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Hematology Departament, Arnau de Vilanova Hospital, 46015 Valencia, Spain"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Francisca L\u00f3pez","family":"Chuli\u00e1","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Hematology Departament, Arnau de Vilanova Hospital, 46015 Valencia, Spain"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3790-3054","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Juan Carlos","family":"Andreu-Ballester","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Foundation for the Promotion of Health and Biomedical Research in the Valencian Region, 46020 Benimaclet, Spain"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7948-9889","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Carmen","family":"Cu\u00e9llar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,16]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"E30","DOI":"10.1002\/ibd.22914","article-title":"Deficit of interleukin-7 in serum of patients with Crohn\u2019s disease","volume":"19","author":"Amigo","year":"2013","journal-title":"Inflamm. 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