Low S-adenosylmethionine concentrations found in patients with severe inflammatory bowel disease.
BACKGROUND
S-adenosylmethionine is a methyl donor in many cellular reactions including detoxification of constantly produced hydrogen sulphide in the colon. A reduced capacity to detoxify hydrogen sulphide may be implicated in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease. S-adenosylmethionine could be low if this assumption is correct. We compared S-adenosylmethionine concentrations in whole blood in patients with severe and moderate inflammatory bowel disease with healthy reference persons.


METHODS
S-adenosylmethionine concentrations in whole blood were measured using high-pressure liquid chromatography. Patients with Crohn's disease (n=21), ulcerative colitis (n=7) and healthy age-matched reference persons (or controls) (n=17) were studied.


RESULTS
S-adenosylmethionine concentrations were significantly decreased in patients with severe inflammatory bowel disease (mean 1.10 mg/l) as compared to patients with moderate Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis (mean 1.83 mg/l) and reference persons (mean 1.84 mg/l). Statistically significant inverse correlations were found between S-adenosylmethionine concentration and activity index (p<0.01 and R2=0.86) as well as Crohn's disease activity index (p<0.01 and R2=0.50) scores.


CONCLUSIONS
Low concentrations of S-adenosylmethionine were found in patients with severe inflammatory bowel disease. Future studies will show whether S-adenosylmethionine is a marker for disease activity and a possible tool for investigation of sulphur toxicity as a causative mechanism in inflammatory bowel disease.
Schmedes
Anne
A
Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Vejle County Hospital, Vejle, Denmark. asch@vs.vejleamt.dk
Nielsen
Jens Nederby
JN
Hey
Henrik
H
Brandslund
Ivan
I
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012016:Reference Values; D012436:S-Adenosylmethionine / Q000097:blood*
D015415:Biomarkers; D012436:S-Adenosylmethionine