Study finds antibody patterns linked to IBD up to 10 years before diagnosis

Researchers reported distinct antibody patterns in people who later developed Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, detectable up to 10 years before diagnosis. The study analyzed 2,000 serum samples from 500 people, including 200 who developed Crohn’s disease, 200 who developed ulcerative colitis and 100 healthy controls.

The study found lower antibody diversity in people who later developed either condition, with different responses associated with each disease. Machine-learning models distinguished future cases from healthy controls up to 10 years before diagnosis, with AUC values of 0.90 for Crohn’s disease and 0.84 for ulcerative colitis. The authors said the findings need validation in independent, more diverse populations before they can be used to develop a clinical screening test.