Serum trefoil factor 3 predicts disease activity in patients with ulcerative colitis

R. Nakov, T. Velikova, V. Nakov, G. Ianiro, V. Gerova, L. Tankova

Clinic of Gastroenterology, “Tsaritsa Yoanna – ISUL” University Hospital, Medical University of Sofia, Sofia, Bulgaria. radislav.nakov@gmail.com

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• Gastroenterology

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the role of serum trefoil factor 3 (TFF3) as a biomarker of disease activity in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and to compare TFF3 values with those of fecal calprotectin (FC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS: 128 patients with IBD were divided into four groups: 1) active ulcerative colitis (UC); 2) quiescent UC; 3) active Crohn’s disease (CD); 4) quiescent CD. The serum levels of TFF3 and FC levels were assessed in all patients and 16 controls.

RESULTS: Patients with active UC had higher TFF3 levels than those with quiescent UC (p<0.001), those with active (p<0.001) or quiescent CD (p<0.001) and controls (p <0.001). We found a correlation between TFF3 and FC values in patients with active (r = 0.478, p = 0.006) and quiescent UC (r=0.528, p=0.002). TFF3 levels correlated with endoscopic activity in UC (evaluated by UC Endoscopic Index of Severity – UCEIS) (r=0.662, p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: Serum TFF3 is able to identify patients with active UC. It could be used as a marker to predict disease activity in patients with UC.