Biomarkers in diagnosis of IBD: yesterday, today, tomorrow

Abstract

Diagnosis, determination of the degree of activity of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and prediction of the response to therapy is based on a comprehensive approach, including clinical, laboratory, endoscopic and histological methods of research. The possibility of using laboratory biomarkers of ulcerative colitis (UC) in practice is characterized by a great potential for solving such problems as early diagnosis of the disease, monitoring the course and predicting the response to therapy. The Committee on Selecting Therapeutic Targets in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (STRIDE) recommends the use of targeted strategies for the treatment of UC from the perspective of the individual needs of the patient. Restoring intestinal permeability will play an important role in the treatment of IBD. It is known that a violation of intestinal permeability is associated with changes in the content of zonulin in the blood serum and in the feces. Currently, most methods of studying the permeability of the muco-epithelial barrier are used only for scientific purposes. The review highlights the current view on the possibility of using existing biomarkers in the diagnosis of UC in practice. The results of a pilot study in which the level of zonulin in the feces was determined in patients with diagnosed UC are presented.