Gastrointestinal endoscopy biopsy derived proteomic patterns predict indeterminate colitis into ulcerative colitis and Crohn's colitis

Abstract

Patients with indeterminate colitis (IC) are significantly younger at diagnosis with onset of symptoms before the age of 18 years with significant morbidity in the interim. The successful care of IC is based on microscopic visual predict precision of eventual ulcerative colitis (UC) or Crohn's colitis (CC) which is not offered in 15%-30% of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients even after a combined state-of-the-art classification system of clinical, visual endoscopic, radiologic and histologic examination. These figures have not changed over the past 3 decades despite the introduction of newer diagnostic modalities. The patient outcomes after restorative proctocolectomy and ileal pouch-anal anastomosis may be painstaking if IC turns into CC. Our approach is aiming at developing a single sensitive and absolute accurate diagnostic test tool during the first clinic visit through endoscopic biopsy derived proteomic patterns. Matrix-assisted-laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MS) and/or imaging MS technologies permit a histology-directed cellular test of endoscopy biopsy which identifies phenotype specific proteins, as biomarker that would assist clinicians more accurately delineate IC as being either a UC or CC or a non-IBD condition. These novel studies are underway on larger cohorts and are highly innovative with significances in differentiating a UC from CC in patients with IC and could lend mechanistic insights into IBD pathogenesis.

Keywords: Crohn’s colitis; Diagnostic accuracy; Indeterminate; Proteomics; The colitides; Ulcerative.

Figures

Figure 1

Illustrates histology-directed tissue compartment proteomics profiling using matrix-assisted-laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry. Digital photomicrographs acquired form histology and matrix-assisted-laser desorption/ionization sections are used to identify and designate sites of interest for profiling. Using bioinformatics technology comparisons are performed in both the training and independent test set samples between inflamed mucosa and inflamed submucosa Crohn’s colitis (CC) vs ulcerative colitis (UC). Tissue showing marked areas of pathological interest. Rings demonstrate matrix spots in mucosal (blue) and submucosal (yellow) layers (our unpublished data).