title: Microinflammation in patients with Crohn's disease in clinical remission.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  It is not clear whether Crohn's disease patients in clinical remission (Crohn's disease activity index<150) display normal concentrations of inflammation sensitive biomarkers. Our goal in this work was to explore the intensity of the microinflammatory response in a group of Crohn's disease patients in clinical remission.
  
  
  METHODS
  High sensitivity C-reactive protein, quantitative fibrinogen, erythrocyte sedimentation rate as well as platelet and leukocyte counts were examined in a group of 76 patients with Crohn's disease in remission and in 228 matched controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Crohn's disease patients in clinical remission displayed a statistically significant (p<0.001) elevated concentration of hs-CRP (4.83±3.8 mg/l) compared to controls (1.05±2.9 mg/l). All other bio-markers were also significantly higher in Crohn's disease patients in remission compared to controls. Similar results were obtained in a subgroup of Crohn's disease patients with very low disease activity - CDAI<75.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Clinical remission is not equivalent to biochemical remission raising a question concerning the true definition of remission in Crohn's disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. 6 Weizman Street, Tel Aviv, 64239 Israel.
authors.forename: Nitsan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Maharshak
authors.forename: Liaz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zilberman
authors.forename: Yaron
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Arbel
authors.forename: Itzhak
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Shapira
authors.forename: Shlomo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Berliner
authors.forename: Nadir
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Arber
authors.forename: Iris
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dotan