The following is a summary of “Serum Extracellular Matrix Molecules and Their Fragments as Biomarkers of Inflammation and Fibrosis in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases – A Systematic Review,” published in the May 2024 issue of Gastroenterology by Poulsen et al.
Existing methods for assessing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) activity and damage, like endoscopy and imaging, are invasive or imprecise, highlighting the need for non-invasive biomarkers.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study systematically reviewing existing studies to evaluate the relevance of blood extracellular matrix (ECM) biomarkers in IBD.
They systematically reviewed PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Scopus to find citations about ECM biomarkers of IBD (March 1, 2024). The studies were sorted by marker subtype and clinical utility.
The results showed 31 ECM markers, with 28 distinguishing IBD disease activity. Collagen III was the most extensively studied (1,212 patients with IBD), while markers C3M and PRO-C3 were linked to IBD and its subtypes. For IBD diagnosis, Collagen V markers C5M and PRO-C5 were the most accurate single markers, with AUCs of 0.91 and 0.93, respectively. Studies had varied endpoints overall, with none focusing on histological grading of intestinal damage, repair, or fibrosis formation about ECM blood markers.
Investigators concluded that blood ECM markers hold promise for reflecting IBD activity and severity, particularly fibrosis. However, future studies require stricter designs and well-defined endpoints to validate the use as reliable and reproducible biomarkers.
Source: academic.oup.com/ecco-jcc/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjae077/7676016
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