title: Lactoferrin in whole gut lavage fluid as a marker for disease activity in inflammatory bowel disease: comparison with other neutrophil-derived proteins.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We investigated which neutrophil-derived proteins in whole gut lavage fluid (WGLF) most accurately reflect disease activity in inflammatory bowel disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  WGLF was obtained from patients undergoing whole gut lavage as a bowel preparation for colonoscopy. Twenty-seven patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), 23 patients with Crohn's disease (CD), and 35 control subjects were examined. The concentrations of lactoferrin, polymorphonuclear neutrophil elastase (PMN-E), myeloperoxidase, and lysozyme in WGLF were measured by ELISA. For the assessment of stability, WGLF samples were stored at 37 degrees C for various periods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In UC, the concentrations of lactoferrin, myeloperoxidase, and lysozyme in WGLF had good correlations with colonoscopic grading. Zero, 12, five, and 10 of 28 samples from active UC patients showed normal concentrations of lactoferrin, PMN-E, myeloperoxidase, and lysozyme, respectively. In CD, the concentrations of lactoferrin and myeloperoxidase had good correlations with the Crohn's disease activity index. Thirteen and seven of 36 samples from inactive CD patients (Crohn's disease activity index < or = 150) showed high concentrations of lactoferrin and myeloperoxidase, respectively. Most of them (11/13, 6/7) were found to have ulceration by colonoscopy or small bowel x-ray. The ratio of the lactoferrin concentration in the WGLF supernatant to that in total WGLF was highest among these proteins in all disease groups and control subjects. Lactoferrin and myeloperoxidase showed good stability in WGLF, whereas PMN-E and lysozyme did not.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lactoferrin is the most suitable of these proteins for use as a neutrophil-derived WGLF marker of intestinal inflammation.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Internal Medicine, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Japan.
authors.forename: Masanobu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kayazawa
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Saitoh
authors.forename: Keishi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kojima
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakagawa
authors.forename: Seigou
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Kazue
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tabata
authors.forename: Ryoichi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Matsuse
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Uchida
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hoshimoto
authors.forename: Ichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hirata
authors.forename: Ken-ichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Katsu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D003113:Colonoscopy; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D007781:Lactoferrin / Q000032:analysis*; D019272:Leukocyte Elastase / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009113:Muramidase / Q000032:analysis*; D009504:Neutrophils; D010533:Peritoneal Lavage; D009195:Peroxidase / Q000032:analysis*; D011379:Prognosis; D012016:Reference Values; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D009195:Peroxidase; D009113:Muramidase; D007781:Lactoferrin; D019272:Leukocyte Elastase