IL10 and colitis: However, in Il10−/− mice at 12 weeks of age vs. Il10−/− mice at 6 weeks of age, only 34% of these genes were differentially expressed in the colon epithelium compared to 84% in intact colon, indicating there were differences in the gene expression profile between epithelium and intact colon in Il10−/− mice, from the early stage of colitis to when colitis was fully developed.