Abstract
Relapses of Crohn's disease appear to be almost random. If these attacks could be reliably predicted, it might be possible to abort them with early treatment. In order to identify laboratory and clinical parameters that would predict an acute relapse, patients who had been assessed clinically in the three months prior to an attack were studied. Published clinical indices as well as a variety of laboratory parameters were measured. The clinical indices and the serum C-reactive protein, orosomucoid,α 1-antitrypsin, and iron were increased at the time of the attack as compared to three months earlier, while only the clinical indices, orosomucoid andα 1-antitrypsin increased between three months and one month prior to the attack. There was a poor correlation of the parameters to each other. Further prospective studies are needed to determine the specificity of the suggested indices in predicting acute relapses of Crohn's disease.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Best WR, Bectel JM, Singleton JW, Kern F Jr: Development of a Crohn's disease activity index—National Crohn's Disease Study, Gastroenterology 70:439–444, 1976
Andre C, Descos L, Landais P, Fermanian J: Assessment of appropriate laboratory measurements to supplement the Crohn's disease activity index. Gut 22:571–574, 1981
Fagen EA, Dycke RF, Maton PN, Hodgson HJF, Chadwick VS, Petrie A: Serum levels of C-reactive protein in Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Eur J Clin Invest 12:351–359, 1982
Van Hees PAM, van Elteren PN, Van Lier NJJ, van Tongeren JHM: An index of inflammatory activity in patients with Crohn's disease. Gut 21:279–280, 1980
Brown DJC, Khan JAP, Copeland G, Jewell DP: Alpha-2-macroglobulin in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. J Clin Lab Immunol 4:53–57, 1980
Hall JC: Br Med J 286:1895–1896, 1983 (letter)
Lockhart-Mummery HE, Morson BC: Crohn's disease of the large intestine. Gut 5:493–509, 1964
Morson BC: Rectal biopsy in inflammatory bowel disease. N Engl J Med 287:1337–1339, 1972
Babson AL: Phenolphthalein monophosphate. A new substrate for alkaline phosphatase. Clin Chem 11:789, 1965
Batsikas JG, Kremers BJ, Thiessen MT, Shilling JM: Biliary tract enzymology: A clinical comparison of serum alkaline phosphatase, leucine aminopeptidase, and 5-nucleotidase. Clin Pathol 50:485–490, 1968
Fishman WN, Ghosh NK: Isoenzyme of human alkaline phosphatase. Adv Clin Chem 10:255–370, 1967
Green S, Kantor F, Inglis NR, Fishman WH: Normal serum alkaline phosphatase isoenzymes examined by acrylamide and starch gel electrophoresis and by isoenzyme analysis using organ specific inhibitors. Am J Clin Pathol 57:52–64, 1972
Kachmer JF: Enzymes.In Fundamentals of Clinical Chemistry, 2nd ed. NW Tietz (ed). Philadelphia, WB Saunders, 1976; pp 606–608
Newcomb RW, Normansell D, Stanworth DR: A structural study of exocrine IgA globulin. J Immunol 101:905–913, 1968
Kosaka T, Asahina T, Kobayashi N: Different quantification of SIgA and SC by two-directional rocket method. Immunology 40:597–604, 1980
Purves LR, Lindsey CG, Franks JJ: Sites ofd-domain interaction in fibrin derivedd-dimer. Biochemistry 19:4051–4058, 1980
Harries AD, Fitzsimons E, Fifield R, Dew MJ, Rhodes J: Platelet Count: A simple measure of activity in Crohn's disease. Br Med J 286:1476, 1983
Pepys MB: C-reactive protein fifty years on. Lancet 1:1432; 1981
Kindmark CO: Sequential changes in plasma proteins in various acute diseases.In Plasma Protein Turnover. R Bianchi, G Mariani, AS MacFarlane (eds). London, Macmillan Press, 1976, pp 395–402
Amos RS, Constable T, Crockson RA, Crockson AP, McConkey B: Rheumatoid arthritis: Relation of serum C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate to radiographic changes. Br Med J 1:195–197, 1977
Perreira da Silva JA, Elkon K, Hughes GRU, Dyck RF, Pepys MB: CRP levels in systemic lupus erythematosis—a classificable criterion. Arthritis and Rheumatism 23:770–771, 1980
Pepys MB, Druguet M, Klass HJ, Dash AC, Mirjan DD, Petrie A: Immunological studies in inflammatory bowel disease.In Immunology of the Gut J Knight, R Porter (eds). Amsterdam, Excerpta Medica, 1977, pp 283–304
Weeke B, Jarnum S: Serum concentrations of 19 serum proteins in Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Gut 12:297–302, 1971
Beisel WR: Trace elements in infectious processes Med Clin North Am 60:831–849, 1976
Klasen EC, Biemond I, Weterman IT: Alpha-1-Antitrypsin in Crohn's disease in the Netherlands. Gut 21:840–842, 1980
Talstad I, Rootwelt K, Gjone E: Thrombocytosis in ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Scand J Gastroenterol 8:135–138, 1973
Swan CHJ, Williams JA, Cooke WT: Fibrinolysis in colonic disease. Gut 11:588–591, 1970
Kirsner JB, Shorter RG: Recent developments in nonspecific inflammatory bowel disease. N Engl J Med 306:837–848, 1982
Thompson RA, Asquith P, Cooke WT: Secretory IgA in the serum. Lancet 2:517–519, 1969
Meryn S, Lochs H: Diagnostic usefulness of plasma carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels in Crohn's disease. Dig Dis Sci 28:478–479, 1983
Rachmilewitz D, Ligumsky M, Rachmilewitz B, Rachmilewitz M, Tarcic N, Schlesinger M: Transcobalamin II level in peripheral blood monocytes—a biochemical marker in inflammatory diseases of the bowel. Gastroenterology 78:43–46, 1980
Vaitukaitis JL, Ross GT, Braunstein GD, Rayford P: Gonadotrophins and their subunits. Basic and clinical studies. Recent Prog Horm Res 32:289–317, 1976
Kruis W, Mann K: Human chorionic gonadotrophin and alpha chain of glycoprotein hormones in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Eur J Clin Invest 13:165–169, 1983
Doe WF, Booth CC, Brown DL: Evidence for complement binding immune complexes in adult coeliac disease, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Lancet 1:402–403, 1973
Hodgson HJF, Potter BJ, Jewell DP: Immune complexes in ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Clin Exp Immunol 29:187–196, 1977
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wright, J.P., Alp, M.N., Young, G.O. et al. Predictors of acute relapse of Crohn's disease. Digest Dis Sci 32, 164–170 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01297104
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01297104