Crohn's Disease - Inflammation and Microbial Proteolytic Activity (CIMPA)

Investigating the Relationship Between Inflammation and Proteolytic Activity From Mucosa-associated Microbiota in Crohn's Disease Patients

This study postulates that altered microbiota associated with areas of mucosal inflammation in CD, can be characterized by an increased proteolytic profile. This is clinically important as it may be possible to modulate the proteolytic activity of the CD-associated bacteria by using other bacteria that produce protease inhibitors, such as serpins.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Crohn's Disease of Both Small and Large Intestine
• Intervention / Treatment: Procedure: Colonoscopy

Detailed Description

Crohn's disease (CD), characterized by discontinuous intestinal injury and inflammation, has been associated with changes in the luminal microbiota and impaired barrier function. Previously, the investigators have shown that in patients with CD, the mucosa-associated microbiota is altered. Additionally, it has been shown that in patients with active CD, areas of intestinal injury are associated with impaired barrier function, but the mechanisms remain unclear. Increased host proteolytic activity has been reported in both CD and ulcerative colitis (UC). The microbiota is an important source of proteases with potential inflammatory and barrier disrupting capacity. Indeed, preliminary data indicate that in UC patients the gut microbiota contributes to proteolytic imbalance. It is unknown whether this is also the case in CD. Specifically, this study postulates that the altered microbiota associated with areas of mucosal inflammation in CD, is characterized by an increased proteolytic profile. This is clinically important as it may be possible to modulate the proteolytic activity of the CD-associated bacteria by using other bacteria that produce protease inhibitors such as serpins.

In this prospective observational study, patients booked for routine white light colonoscopy under the care of the Division of Gastroenterology, Hamilton Health Sciences at the McMaster University Medical Centre and Juravinski Hospital Endoscopy Units will be invited to participate. Patients previously diagnosed with Crohn's disease who have a clinical indication for undergoing a standard white light colonoscopy, as determined by the gastroenterologist, will be invited to participate; biopsy samples and mucosal brushings will be taken from inflamed and non-inflamed areas in the ileum or colon.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 30

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Canada
  • Ontario
    • Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, L8N 3Z5
      • McMaster University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

• Sampling Method: Probability Sample

Study Population

Study subjects will be invited to participate in the outpatient clinic if the clinical need for standard, white light colonoscopy has already been confirmed as well as a previous diagnosis of Crohn's disease. All study subjects will be enrolled into the study after informed consent

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Be aged between 18 - 70 years old
• Have a confirmed diagnosis of Crohn's disease
• Have a clinical indication for standard, white light colonoscopy to assess disease activity and extent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Inability to provide written informed consent
• Presence of serious life-threatening co-morbidities
• Evidence of toxic megacolon, jaundice, cirrhosis, renal dysfunction, acute GI bleeding
• History of difficult colonoscopy, strictures or extensive diverticulosis
• Antibiotics in the last month
• Probiotics in the last week

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Intervention / Treatment

Crohn's disease; Patients previously diagnosed with Crohn's disease who have a clinical indication for undergoing a standard white light colonoscopy, as determined by their gastroenterologist, will be invited to participate. Patients undergoing colonoscopy for other indications (for example, for the investigation of possible malignancy, polyps, gastrointestinal bleeding or diarrhea, without colonic inflammation), will not be included in this study.

Procedure: Colonoscopy; Colonoscopy with video recording and biopsy collection

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Altered microbiota associated with areas of mucosal inflammation in CD, is characterized by an increased proteolytic profile	Increase proteolytic activity profile influenced by microbiota composition in inflamed areas comprared with non-inflamed areas in a context of Crohn's disease	December 2019 - January 2025

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: McMaster University

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Xavier RJ, Podolsky DK. Unravelling the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease. Nature. 2007 Jul 26;448(7152):427-34. doi: 10.1038/nature06005.
• Bouma G, Strober W. The immunological and genetic basis of inflammatory bowel disease. Nat Rev Immunol. 2003 Jul;3(7):521-33. doi: 10.1038/nri1132.
• Libertucci J, Dutta U, Kaur S, Jury J, Rossi L, Fontes ME, Shajib MS, Khan WI, Surette MG, Verdu EF, Armstrong D. Inflammation-related differences in mucosa-associated microbiota and intestinal barrier function in colonic Crohn's disease. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol. 2018 Sep 1;315(3):G420-G431. doi: 10.1152/ajpgi.00411.2017. Epub 2018 May 31.
• Denadai-Souza A, Bonnart C, Tapias NS, Marcellin M, Gilmore B, Alric L, Bonnet D, Burlet-Schiltz O, Hollenberg MD, Vergnolle N, Deraison C. Functional Proteomic Profiling of Secreted Serine Proteases in Health and Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Sci Rep. 2018 May 18;8(1):7834. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-26282-y.
• Vergnolle N. Protease inhibition as new therapeutic strategy for GI diseases. Gut. 2016 Jul;65(7):1215-24. doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2015-309147. Epub 2016 Apr 12.
• Motta JP, Magne L, Descamps D, Rolland C, Squarzoni-Dale C, Rousset P, Martin L, Cenac N, Balloy V, Huerre M, Frohlich LF, Jenne D, Wartelle J, Belaaouaj A, Mas E, Vinel JP, Alric L, Chignard M, Vergnolle N, Sallenave JM. Modifying the protease, antiprotease pattern by elafin overexpression protects mice from colitis. Gastroenterology. 2011 Apr;140(4):1272-82. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2010.12.050. Epub 2011 Jan 1.
• Caminero A, McCarville JL, Galipeau HJ, Deraison C, Bernier SP, Constante M, Rolland C, Meisel M, Murray JA, Yu XB, Alaedini A, Coombes BK, Bercik P, Southward CM, Ruf W, Jabri B, Chirdo FG, Casqueiro J, Surette MG, Vergnolle N, Verdu EF. Duodenal bacterial proteolytic activity determines sensitivity to dietary antigen through protease-activated receptor-2. Nat Commun. 2019 Mar 13;10(1):1198. doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-09037-9.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): December 1, 2019
• Primary Completion (Actual): February 20, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): February 20, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 9, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 9, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): July 16, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): August 22, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 18, 2025
• Last Verified: August 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Crohn's disease; Proteolytic activity; Serpin
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pathologic Processes; Intestinal Diseases; Digestive System Diseases; Gastrointestinal Diseases; Gastroenteritis; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases; Inflammation; Crohn Disease
• Other Study ID Numbers: HiREB-7789

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No