Affiliations: 2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Semmelweis
University, Budapest, Hungary | Molecular Medicine Research Unit, Hungarian Academy of
Sciences, Budapest, Hungary | 1st Department of Pathology and Experimental Cancer
Research, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
Note: [] Corresponding author: Professor Luo-Ping Ger, Department of
Medical Education and Research, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, 386
Ta-Chung 1{st} Road, 813 Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Tel.: +886 7 3468356; Fax: +886 7
3468056; E-mail: lpger@vghks.gov.tw
Abstract: A molecular diagnostic assay using easily accessible peripheral
blood would greatly assist in the screening and diagnosis of ulcerative colitis
(UC) and Crohn's disease (CD). Transcriptional profiles in blood/biopsy samples
from 12 UC (6/12), 9 CD (5/9), 6 non-inflammatory bowel disease (non-IBD)
colitis (6/0), and 11 healthy (11/11) patients were assessed by Affymetrix
HGU133Plus2.0 microarrays. Prediction analysis of microarrays, discriminant and
ROC analyses were performed, the results were validated by RT-PCR and
immunohistochemistry using also an independent set of samples (15 blood
samples, 45 biopsies). A set of 13 transcripts was differentially expressed in
IBD, non-IBD controls and healthy blood samples (100% specificity and
sensitivity). Validated difference was found in 16 transcripts between UC,
non-IBD and normal blood, and 4 transcripts between CD, non-IBD and normal
samples. UC and CD blood cases could be also distinguished by 5 genes with 100%
specificity and sensitivity. Some disease associated alterations in blood
transcripts were also detected in colonic tissue. IBD subtypes may be
discriminated from non-IBD (diverticulitis, infective and ischemic colitis) in
vitro from peripheral blood by screening for differential gene expression
revealed in this study. Transcriptional profile alterations in peripheral blood
can be located in diseased colon.
