Clinical, cellular and serologic biomarkers of intestinal fibrosis

Abstract

Intestinal fibrosis, which is due to an exaggerated accumulation of extracellular matrix, is a frequent complication of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) leading to intestinal obstruction and need for surgery. Currently, there are no biomarkers able to predict the development of intestinal fibrosis in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Most of the candidate biomarkers, including clinical factors (i.e. smoking, ileal location, early use of steroids), circulating cells (i.e. fibrocytes), serum extracellular matrix components (i.e. collagen, fibronectin) or enzymes (i.e. tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-1), serum growth factors (i.e. basic fibroblast growth factor, YKL-40) and serum antimicrobial antibodies (i.e. anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae antibodies ASCA), have been shown to predict a disabling disease course rather than a fibrostenosing phenotype. In this chapter we critically review clinical, cellular and serological biomarkers of intestinal fibrosis in inflammatory bowel disease.