Review article: biological activity markers in inflammatory bowel disease.
BACKGROUND
Traditionally, inflammatory bowel disease activity is assessed by clinical activity indices that measure clinical symptoms and endoscopic indices that measure endoscopic inflammation. Biological markers are a non-invasive way of objectively measuring inflammation and can play an adjunctive or primary role in the assessment of disease activity.


OBJECTIVE
To review the data on biological markers for assessment of disease activity and prediction of relapse in inflammatory bowel disease.


METHODS
To collect relevant articles, a PubMed search was performed from 1980 to 2006 using following search terms in combination: inflammatory bowel disease, biomarkers, inflammation, disease activity, relapse, acute phase reactants cytokines, interleukins, adhesion molecules, integrins, calprotectin and lactoferrin.


RESULTS
Biological activity markers can be classified into serological, faecal and miscellaneous categories. Acute phase reactants levels correlate with disease activity and some can be used to help predict relapse. Cytokines and adhesion molecules are elevated in active disease inconsistently. Faecal markers are useful in assessment of disease activity and relapse.


CONCLUSIONS
Acute phase reactants and faecal markers are useful to assess the disease activity in clinical practice. More data are required on cytokines and adhesion molecules. C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, interleukins and faecal markers may be useful in predicting a relapse.
Desai
D
D
Division of Gastroenterology, P D Hinduja National Hospital and Medical Research Center, Mumbai, India. devendracdesai@gmail.com
Faubion
W A
WA
Sandborn
W J
WJ
D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*
D015415:Biomarkers