About the project
Intestinal inflammation in Crohn's disease serves as the basis for the development of fibrosis in the intestine.
In patients diagnosed with Crohn's disease in the early 90’s, surgical intervention was required for 50 % of the patients. Since then, several biological and immunomodulating drugs have been introduced, which are expected to reduce the need for surgery in this group.
Current situation
The medications are expensive and associated with side effects. The challenge lies in identifying individuals who have an increased risk of complicated disease behaviour with intestinal fibrosis and stricturing disease, so that drug treatment can be tailored to each patient.
Currently, there are no validated biomarkers that can predict fibrosis development or response to medical treatment. Therefore, we will investigate the diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive potential of promising fibrosis markers in serum in patients newly diagnosed with Crohn's disease.
Collection of data
Samples from baseline and one-year follow-up from patients in the IBSEN III cohort will be analysed at a collaborating laboratory in Denmark using proteomic technique, where selected proteins involved in collagen turnover in the intestinal lumen during inflammation will be quantified.
The data will be compared with validated clinical scoring systems and radiological findings of stricturing Crohn's disease.
Aim of research
The purpose of the study is to identify patients at increased risk of stricturing disease, so that this group can receive early treatment and reduce the risk of complicated disease progression.