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Image: Serum samples from patients with inflammatory bowel disease stored at Northeastern University Hospital
.
Credit: Yoichi Kakuta
An international collaborative study found a potential new diagnostic marker for ulcerative colitis in a cross-ethnic analysis of Japanese and Caucasian patients
.
The discovery could lead to the development of non-invasive, diagnostic blood tests to identify the disease and determine the progression of the disease in patients, the researchers said
They published their findings on December 27, 2021 in the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology
.
More than 5 million people worldwide suffer from inflammatory bowel disease, the umbrella term for a group of diseases that includes ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease
.
Both diseases cause significant pain, diarrhea, and bleeding as a result of inflammation and damage to the large intestine
"We found that patients with inflammatory bowel disease, especially ulcerative colitis, have higher levels of antibodies against the endothelin C receptor," said first author Yoichi Kakuta, associate professor of gastroenterology at Tohoku University Hospital in Japan
.
Known as anti-epcr antibodies, they are produced by the body's immune system to fight substances that are naturally present in the body, not invading pathogens
.
The presence of these self-aggressive antibodies is a hallmark of autoimmune diseases such as ulcerative colitis
The researchers previously identified the same anti-epcr antibodies in patients with sorghum arteritis
.
Sorghum arteritis is a condition that causes inflammation of the blood vessels, which can be complicated by ulcerative colitis
"Anti-epcr antibodies were specifically expressed in patients with inflammatory bowel disease and were particularly sensitive in patients with ulcerative colitis compared with healthy subjects and other colorectal diseases," Kakuta said
.
The researchers also found that more than 93 percent of patients with ulcerative colitis, arthritis and immune-related skin diseases were positive for the antibodies
.
This suggests a strong link to systemic inflammatory complications, similar to what they observed in patients with Takayasu's arteritis, Kakuta said
Next, the researchers plan to elucidate how the antibodies are involved in the development of ulcerative colitis, with the goal of developing a diagnostic blood test and treatment regimen
.
"Ulcerative colitis can be easily diagnosed by checking antibody levels in the blood when a patient with symptoms of diarrhea or bloody stools goes to a polyclinic," Kakuta said
.
"Rapid diagnosis means the patient can be referred to a specialist as soon as possible.
