Seven-year forecast
New Test Predicts Crohn's Disease Risks 7 Years before Symptoms
Svetlana Maslova, Hi-tech+
Scientists have discovered one biomarker that indicates the risks of a severe form of inflammatory disease years before a doctor can do it. This opens up opportunities for the development of preventive measures to prevent chronic symptoms.
An international team of researchers led by a team from The University of Toronto has identified a blood biomarker that is involved in the development of Crohn's disease and is determined seven years before the characteristic symptoms — abdominal pain, diarrhea, weight loss, anemia and others.
Article by Mortha et al. Neutralizing anti-GM-CSF autoantibodies recognize posttranslational glycosylations on GM-CSF years prior to diagnosis and predict complicated Crohn's Disease published in the journal Gastroenterology – VM.
Crohn's disease refers to chronic inflammatory bowel diseases and currently it can be diagnosed correctly only at a progressive stage, when the patient's quality of life is already low.
An informative biomarker turned out to be an antibody produced by intestinal cells, which disrupts the communication of immune and intestinal cells, scientists explain. As a result, the function of granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), a cytokine that supports the immune balance in the intestine, is blocked.
After analyzing the data of patients with Crohn's disease, scientists found that the antibodies disrupted the protective effects of cytokines and intestinal homeostasis, which ultimately led to a weakening of the immune system.
Changes in the blood were visible seven years before the diagnosis — they were present in about a quarter of patients. In healthy people and patients with ulcerative colitis, these characteristic signs were not observed.
Then scientists discovered that by manipulating biochemical properties, it is possible to preserve the protective functions of cytokines and make them virtually invisible to antibodies. This opens up opportunities for the prevention of chronic disease at the earliest stage, when the immune imbalance is just beginning to develop.
Currently, about 4 million people live with Crohn's disease. For them, the existing therapy does not bring the necessary effect.
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