As pioglitazone was able to attenuate the increase in ICAM-1 promoted by patient plasma, it can be suggested that this PPARγ ligand is capable of preventing not only severe BBB damage as assessed on the experiments utilizing TNFα, but also in preventing early BBB damage occurring during low-grade inflammation as assessed during the experiments utilizing plasma from IBD patients at severe disease stages. This evidence concerns the gene ICAM1 and inflammatory bowel disease.