The Role of Laboratory Tests in Crohn's Disease
In the past, laboratory tests were considered of limited value in Crohn's disease (CD). In the era of biologics, laboratory tests have become essential to evaluate the inflammatory burden of the disease (C-reactive protein, fecal calprotectin) since symptoms-based scores are subjective, to pred...
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Published in | Clinical Medicine Insights. Gastroenterology Vol. 2016; no. 9; pp. 51 - 62 |
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Main Authors | , |
Format | Journal Article Book Review |
Language | English |
Published |
London, England
Libertas Academica
01.01.2016
SAGE Publishing SAGE Publications Sage Publications Ltd |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | In the past, laboratory tests were considered of limited value in Crohn's disease (CD). In the era of biologics, laboratory tests have become essential to evaluate the inflammatory burden of the disease (C-reactive protein, fecal calprotectin) since symptoms-based scores are subjective, to predict the response to pharmacological options and the risk of relapse, to discriminate CD from ulcerative colitis, to select candidates to anti-tumor necrosis factors [screening tests looking for hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus status and latent tuberculosis], to assess the risk of adverse events (testing for thiopurine metabolites and thiopurine-methyltransferase activity), and to personalize and optimize therapy (therapeutic drug monitoring). Pharmacogenetics, though presently confined to the assessment of thiopurineme methyltransferase polymorphisms and hematological toxicity associated with thiopurine treatment, is a promising field that will contribute to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of the variability in response to the drugs used in CD with the attempt to expand personalized care and precision medicine strategies. |
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Bibliography: | These authors contributed equally to this work. |
ISSN: | 1179-5522 1179-5522 2631-7745 |
DOI: | 10.4137/CGast.S38203 |