Gene Profile Distinguishes Between Inflammatory Bowel
Diseases and Irritable Bowel Syndrome
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Jul 24 - Swedish investigators have identified genetic markers that
can help to discriminate between ulcerative colitis (UC), Crohn's disease (CD), and irritable
bowel syndrome (IBS)
Dr. Petra von Stein of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm and colleagues examined gene
expression profiles in colonic mucosal biopsy specimens taken from 301 patients with clinical
and pathological evidence of having UC, CD, unclassified inflammatory bowel disease, IBS,
diverticulosis or colorectal polyps.
The investigators identified seven differentially expressed marker genes, "making it possible to
discriminate between patients suffering from UC, CD, or IBS," they report in the June issue of
Gastroenterology.
"Expression profiling of relevant marker genes in colonic biopsy specimens from patients with
IBD/IBS-like symptoms may enable swift and reliable determination of diagnosis, ultimately
improving disease management," Dr. von Stein and colleagues conclude.
In an accompanying editorial, Drs. Alan Huett and Ramnik J. Xavier of Massachusetts General
Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston write: "Large, molecular-based screening
efforts such as undertaken by von Stein et al. are both promising to deliver more useful
molecular diagnostic tools, but are also likely to further our knowledge of disease mechanisms
and therefore greatly improve both diagnosis and therapy in the future."
Gastroenterology 2008;134:1869-1881,2164-2168.