Experimental studies demonstrated that increased oral glucocorticoid intake is significantly associated with elevated expression levels of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) through the activated glucocorticoid-induced tumor necrosis factor receptor (GITR) signaling pathway in activated CD68 + /CD163 + macrophages in tissue specimen of patients with complicated diverticulitis [34, 35]. This evidence concerns the gene MMP9 and Colonic diverticula.