title: Use of serum biomarkers in a diagnostic test for irritable bowel syndrome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Currently, no single serum biomarker can reliably differentiate irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) from other functional gastrointestinal disorders or organic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To develop and validate a diagnostic test using serum biomarkers to detect IBS.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten serum biomarkers were selected from a potential panel of 140 for their ability to differentiate IBS from non-IBS disease in blood samples from patients with IBS, other gastrointestinal disorders and healthy volunteers. A predictive modelling tool was developed to assess patterns and relationships among the 10 serum biomarkers that best differentiated IBS patients from healthy controls and patients with non-IBS gastrointestinal disease. This model was tested in a different cohort of patients and healthy controls (n = 516) to determine the predictive accuracy of differentiating IBS from non-IBS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sensitivity and specificity of the 10-biomarker algorithm for differentiating IBS from non-IBS was 50% and 88% respectively. The positive predictive value was 81%, and the negative predictive value was 64% at 50% IBS prevalence in the validation cohort. Overall accuracy was 70%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Assessing serum biomarker patterns can differentiate IBS from non-IBS with reasonable sensitivity and specificity. Assessing serum biomarkers in an overall diagnostic strategy may allow earlier diagnosis and treatment for patients with IBS.
authors.affiliation: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Lembo
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Neri
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tolley
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Barken
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Carroll
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pan
mesh_terms: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000465:Algorithms; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000097:blood; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes / Q000097:blood; D043183:Irritable Bowel Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D000071068:Lipocalin-2; D054834:Lipocalins / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000097:blood; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D019715:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 / Q000097:blood; D011503:Transglutaminases / Q000097:blood; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D015415:Biomarkers; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D016207:Cytokines; D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes; C489506:LCN2 protein, human; D000071068:Lipocalin-2; D054834:Lipocalins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019715:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1; D011503:Transglutaminases