Inflammatory Bowel Disease can be Detected at Birth

Learn about the early detection of inflammatory bowel disease in children and the blood biomarkers involved.

The prevalence of chronic illnesses that have no known cure is on the rise in the Western world. Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis affect 50,000 persons in Denmark alone; this represents a doubling of cases over the previous 20 years.

An overactive immune system associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) results in chronic intestinal inflammation and persistent diarrhea, tiredness, and abdominal pain.

Quiz on Crohn’s Disease
inflammatory bowel disease. Test your knowledge on Crohn’s disease by taking this ...

‘Children diagnosed with #Inflammatory_bowel_disease before the age of six exhibit #biomarkers associated with the disease from #birth. #medindia’

Early Signs of Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome in Children

While many people are diagnosed in early adulthood, a smaller proportion is identified in childhood, especially if they exhibit symptoms such as weight loss, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and bleeding.

Researchers at Aalborg University’s Center for Molecular Prediction of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (PREDICT) have discovered evidence that children diagnosed with IBD before the age of six exhibit biological characteristics linked to the illness from birth ().

According to recent research, certain inflammatory markers can be found in blood samples up to ten years before a formal diagnosis. This implies that the illness manifests considerably earlier than previously assumed.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease - Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment & Prevention
Inflammatory bowel disease involves chronic inflammation of the colon and small intestine. Symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal pain and weight loss.

Biological samples obtained prior to a diagnosis are frequently unavailable to researchers, therefore, the 10-year span represents the extent of the available data.

Early Blood Biomarker for IBD in Children

PhD student Jonas Julius Rudbæk from PREDICT explains:

Crohn’s Disease
Crohn’s disease or regional enteritis is an inflammatory bowel disease that involves the small intestine and causes abdominal pain, diarrhea and bleeding.

"By comparing blood samples from newborns who later develop IBD with those who do not, we can better understand what happens in the body before symptoms appear. Since young children often cannot describe their pain, this could open the door to screening newborns for early signs of the disease, potentially allowing us to prevent its onset."

However, Rudbæk emphasizes that this research is still in its early stages: "This is the first time such a connection has been demonstrated globally, and it’s an incredibly important step. Now, the field needs to further explore the details of what we’ve uncovered."

Antibiotics Associated With Inflammatory Bowel Disease
In older people, antibiotics are linked to inflammatory bowel disease development. Findings could explain some of the growth in Crohn's and ulcerative colitis.

This new study suggests that only children diagnosed before the age of six show biological changes in their blood at birth.

"We only see these early signs of IBD in very young children, while those diagnosed later in childhood don’t show such changes at birth. This supports the idea that we are dealing with a specific group of children who are particularly severely affected, making it crucial to investigate preventive options for this subgroup," says Jonas Rudbæk.

Professor Dr.Tine Jess, director of PREDICT, adds: "Our study is a unique example of how Denmark’s health data and biobank resources can provide crucial insights into the origins of diseases. In the future, the knowledge we can gain from this resource will help prevent many chronic conditions, including inflammatory bowel diseases, not only in Denmark but worldwide."

Reference:

Inflammatory Markers at Birth and Risk of Early-Onset Inflammatory Bowel Disease - (https:www.gastrojournal.org/article/S0016-5085(24)05210-7/fulltext)

Source-Eurekalert