title: Preliminary case-control study to evaluate diagnostic values of C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate in differentiating active Crohn's disease from intestinal lymphoma, intestinal tuberculosis and Behcet's syndrome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There are few evidences of C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and white blood cell (WBC) in differentiating active Crohn's disease (CD) from intestinal lymphoma (IL), intestinal tuberculosis (ITB) and Behcet's syndrome (BD). This study is designed to investigate potential differential capacity of the 3 biomarkers between these disorders.
  
  
  METHODS
  A hospital-based case-control study was performed. A total of 29 active CD, 25 IL, 30 ITB and 17 BD patients were collected. Laboratory parameters were drawn from the first blood test results on admission.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In active CD group, the level of CRP was 20.2 ± 4.26 mg/dL, which was statistically lower than IL (59.9 ± 10.8 mg/dL, P < 0.0001). Similarly, the level of ESR reached its lowest point in active CD group (23.8 ± 3.18 mm/hr), compared with 46.6 ± 6.46 mm/hr in IL group (P = 0.0002). CRP showed a possible diagnostic value in differentiation of IL from active CD (odds ratio = 1.028, P = 0.046). CRP also exhibited a superior ability (area under curve [AUC] = 0.821) than ESR (AUC = 0.797) and CRP+ESR (AUC = 0.800) in distinguishing active CD from IL. The optimal cutoff value was 19.7 mg/dL, and the sensitivity and specificity were 62.1% and 96.0%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A significant decreased level of CRP and ESR was confirmed in active CD compared with IL. Current study demonstrated a possible differential value of CRP between active CD and IL. Further studies would be performed to validate their clinical significances.
authors.affiliation: Medical School of Nanjing University, Departments of General Surgery (SL, JR, XW, HR, DY, GW, GG, JL) and Pathology (QX), Jinling Hospital, Nanjing, China; Department of General Surgery (GH), Second Affiliated Hospital of Jilin University, General Surgery Center of Jilin University, Jilin, China; and Center for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (SL), Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Song
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jianan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Qiuyuan
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Xiuwen
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Huajian
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Dongsheng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Gefei
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Guosheng
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Jieshou
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002681:China; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007414:Intestinal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012372:ROC Curve; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014385:Tuberculosis, Gastrointestinal / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D002097:C-Reactive Protein