title: [Serum levels of beta2 microglobulin and ultrasensitive c-reactive protein as markers of histological activity in ulcerative colitis].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is currently increasing interest in research focused on new, non-invasive biochemical markers with better efficacy for evaluating endoscopic activity in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In the present study, we determined the diagnostic utility of high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs CRP) and beta2 microglobulin (beta2M) levels and analyzed their correlation with the histological activity of ulcerative colitis (UC).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 60 consecutive patients with UC were studied. Truelove-Witts index, histological activity, and beta2M and CRP levels were determined. Patients were grouped as non-active, mild, moderate, or severe following Riley's classification. Statistical analysis was performed using descriptive statistics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of the patients was 41.3 +/- 14.5 years. Thirty patients were women (50%). Twenty-one patients had distal UC (35%). The correlations between serum hsCRP and beta2M with histological activity showed coefficients of 0.39 (p = 0.01) and 0.33 (p = 0.02), respectively. The diagnostic utility was determined by ROC curves, which showed that the cutoff with the greatest area under the curve (AUC) for hsCRP and beta2M were > or = 0.36 (AUC = 0.73) and > or = 1.3 (AUC = 0.69), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients with UC, hsCRP and beta2M levels are positively correlated with histological activity.
authors.affiliation: Clínica de Enfermedad Inflamatoria Intestinal, Departamento de Gastroenterología, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición "Salvador Zubirán", SSA, México D.F., México. kazuofurusho@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Jesús K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Yamamoto-Furusho
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Camacho-Escobedo
authors.forename: Félix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Téllez-Avila
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Barreto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin; D002097:C-Reactive Protein