We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

LabMedica

Download Mobile App
Recent News Expo Clinical Chem. Molecular Diagnostics Hematology Immunology Microbiology Pathology Technology Industry Focus

Sensitive Clinical Marker Defined for Ulcerative Colitis Evolution

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 20 Sep 2016
Image: The semi-quantitative Calprotectin 50 + 200 combo card test (Photo courtesy of CerTest Biotec).
Image: The semi-quantitative Calprotectin 50 + 200 combo card test (Photo courtesy of CerTest Biotec).
The two main subtypes of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) are characterized by episodes of inflammatory activity and remission and determination of disease activity remains challenging, with most clinical scores correlating poorly with the inflammatory state.

Treatment of IBD patients has recently shifted from controlling symptoms to promoting endoscopic mucosal healing or deep remission and treatment promoting mucosal healing can slow the progression of the disease. In this context, laboratory biomarkers have gained importance in evaluating and predicting the response to therapy.

Scientists at the University of Chile (Santiago, Chile) prospectively recruited 26 patients grouped according to an endoscopic score and therapy response. Colonoscopic biopsies were collected at baseline and six months or when patients showed clinical activity. The protocol was reinitiated in patients requiring rescue therapy. Blood and stool were collected at baseline, one, three, six and 12 months.

Serum and intestinal ST2 (Interleukin 1 receptor-like 1) concentrations, as well as serum interleukin -33 (IL-33) levels were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit for human ST2 or IL-33 (DuoSet, R&D Systems, Minneapolis, MN, USA). The ST2 detection assay is stable over time, with a detection limit of 20 pg/mL, while the IL-33 detection assay is less stable over time, with a detection limit of 23.4 pg/mL. The supernatant from the fecal samples were processed for the rapid semi-quantitative test Calprotectin 50+200 (CerTest Biotec S.L., Zaragoza, Spain). Mucosal ST2 detection was performed by immunofluorescence and the images captured using an Olympus confocal laser scanning biological microscope FV10i (Olympus America Inc., Melville, NY, USA).

The team reported that follow-up was completed in 24 patients. The statistically significant median and range of soluble sST2 levels varied from 173.5 pg/mL (136.6–274.0) to 86.5 pg/mL (54.6–133.2) in responders and 336.3 pg/mL (211.0–403.2) to 385.3 pg/mL (283.4–517.3) in non-responders at baseline and six months respectively. Soluble sST2 levels correlated with Mayo clinical and endoscopic subscore, mucosal ST2 and fecal calprotectin (FC) and showed a trend similar to that of FC in responders. Non-responders revealed an increased ST2 content, restricted to the lamina propria’s cellular infiltrate.

The authors concluded that during the follow-up, serial ST2 measurements decreased in those patients with a reduced endoscopic index at six months, indicating a positive response to therapy. In those patients, FC levels were also significantly decreased in direct correlation to sST2 levels. The accuracy of sST2 in endoscopic detection of UC strongly suggests its usefulness in monitoring relapse and outcome, as well as in identifying patients likely to benefit from a particular treatment. The study was published on August 28, 2016, in the journal BMC Gastroenterology.

Related Links:
University of Chile
R&D Systems
CerTest Biotec
Olympus America
Gold Member
Fibrinolysis Assay
HemosIL Fibrinolysis Assay Panel
POC Helicobacter Pylori Test Kit
Hepy Urease Test
HBV DNA Test
GENERIC HBV VIRAL LOAD VER 2.0
CBM Analyzer
Complete Blood Morphology (CBM) Analyzer

Channels

Molecular Diagnostics

view channel
Image: The test utilizes mtDNA biomarkers to detect molecular signatures associated with endometriosis (Photo courtesy of Shutterstock)

Endometriosis Blood Test Could Replace Invasive Laparoscopic Diagnosis

Endometriosis affects an estimated 1 in 10 women globally, yet diagnosis can take 7 to 10 years on average due to the invasive nature of laparoscopy and lack of accurate, non-invasive tests.... Read more

Hematology

view channel
Image: Residual leukemia cells may predict long-term survival in acute myeloid leukemia (Photo courtesy of Shutterstock)

MRD Tests Could Predict Survival in Leukemia Patients

Acute myeloid leukemia is an aggressive blood cancer that disrupts normal blood cell production and often relapses even after intensive treatment. Clinicians currently lack early, reliable markers to predict... Read more

Pathology

view channel
Image: The AI tool advances precision diagnostics by linking genetic mutations directly to disease types (Photo courtesy of Shutterstock)

AI Tool Simultaneously Identifies Genetic Mutations and Disease Type

Interpreting genetic test results remains a major challenge in modern medicine, particularly for rare and complex diseases. While existing tools can indicate whether a genetic mutation is harmful, they... Read more