DGE of the lower villus zone revealed that NEC epithelial cells exhibited substantial increase in the antimicrobial genes LCN2, REG1A, REG1B, and DMBT1 (Fig 5H), genes previously shown to be elevated in inflamed epithelium associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) [43,44]. This evidence concerns the gene LCN2 and necrotizing enterocolitis.