title: Chromogranin A as a biomarker of disease activity and biologic therapy in inflammatory bowel disease: a prospective observational study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To access the correlation of Chromogranin A (CgA) with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) activity and responsiveness to medical therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective observational study was conducted in 56 patients with moderate ulcerative colitis (UC) or Crohn's disease (CD) (UC, n = 29, CD, n = 27), 17 patients with irritable bowel syndrome and predominant diarrhea (IBS-D) and 40 healthy volunteers. IBD patients were treated by biologics (infliximab or adalimumab) or conventional agents (aminosalicylates, thiopurines or methotrexate and steroids) and were classified according to their treatment in two groups. Serum CgA was measured at baseline and 4-week posttreatment period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum CgA was significantly higher in IBD patients than in those with IBS-D or healthy volunteers (p < 0.01). Furthermore, serum CgA was markedly increased in CD patients than in UC patients (p < 0.01). CgA value was significantly reduced in 'biologic' group (24 IBD patients, UC, n = 15, CD, n = 9) at 4-week posttreatment period (p < 0.01), while 18/24 (72%) patients were already in remission during that time. In contrast, CgA value was significantly increased in the 'conventional' treatment group (32 IBD patients, UC, n = 14, CD, n = 18) between the two visits (p < 0.01), although 22/32 (69%) patients were in remission during the 4-week posttreatment period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CgA appears to be a reliable marker of disease activity in IBD patients and especially in those who received biologic therapy. IBS-D patients presented normal CgA values.
authors.affiliation: Deartment of Nuclear Medicine, Democritus University of Thrace , Alexandroupolis, 68100 , Greece.
authors.forename: Athanasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zissimopoulos
authors.forename: Stergios
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vradelis
authors.forename: Manolis
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Konialis
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chadolias
authors.forename: Asimenia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bampali
authors.forename: Theodoros
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Constantinidis
authors.forename: Eleni
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Efremidou
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kouklakis
mesh_terms: D000068879:Adalimumab; D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D053379:Chromogranin A / Q000097:blood*; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D018450:Disease Progression; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D000069285:Infliximab; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D015415:Biomarkers; D053379:Chromogranin A; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D000069285:Infliximab; D000068879:Adalimumab
keywords: Chromogranin A; Crohn’s disease; IBD; IBS; ulcerative colitis