title: Candidate mucosal and surrogate biomarkers of inflammatory bowel disease in the era of new technology.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There is increasing knowledge of the pathophysiology behind inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) although the exact mechanism is far from fully understood. In the era of new technology, over the last years molecular approaches have shed light on the inflammatory mechanisms and their metabolic end products. This opens for a molecular fingerprinting that can be used in the biomarker field of IBD. There is a great need of biomarkers for prediction of clinical outcome and prognostic biomarker for prediction of therapeutic effects in IBD. Although the biomarker concept is old, so far very few really useful biomarkers exist in IBD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Here, we review the predictive and prognostic biomarkers in IBD in the era of new technologies with emphasis on the potential of molecular fingerprinting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Very few candidate biomarkers have been documented. The most promising candidate predictor is tumor necrosis factor-α, but there is a lack of validation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  So far, there are few biomarkers documented in IBD, but we are at the start of a new scientific field that will be of great value for the handling of the disease.
authors: Research Group of Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tromsø and University Hospital North Norway, Tromsø, Norway. jon.florholmen@unn.no
authors: Jon
authors: J
authors: Florholmen
authors: Walter
authors: W
authors: Fries
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism / Q000652:urine; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000652:urine; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000652:urine; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009780:Occult Blood
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins