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Plasma viscosity in inflammatory bowel disease
Insights
Plasma viscosity is elevated in active Crohn's disease but not sensitive enough to replace erythrocyte sedimentation rate for monitoring disease activity. This study assessed plasma viscosity in inflammatory bowel disease patients.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Clinical Chemistry
Background:
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) encompasses Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC).
- Assessing disease activity is crucial for effective management of IBD.
- Plasma viscosity (PV) is a measure of blood's resistance to flow.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the relationship between plasma viscosity and disease activity in patients with IBD.
- To compare PV as a potential biomarker for disease activity in CD and UC.
Main Methods:
- Patients with CD (n=60) and UC (n=71) were recruited.
- Disease activity was defined using established criteria for CD and UC.
- Blood samples were analyzed for PV, hemoglobin, white blood cell count, platelets, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), albumin, and C-reactive protein (CRP).
Main Results:
- PV was significantly higher in patients with active CD compared to inactive CD or active UC.
- In CD, PV correlated with ESR, CRP, and platelet count.
- In UC, PV correlated only with CRP.
- PV demonstrated low sensitivity in detecting active CD, with nearly half of active CD patients having PV within the normal range.
Conclusions:
- Plasma viscosity is associated with disease activity in Crohn's disease.
- PV is not sensitive enough to serve as a replacement for ESR in monitoring the acute phase response in CD.
- Further research may explore PV's role in specific IBD contexts.
Aims:
To assess the relation of plasma viscosity to disease activity in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.
Methods:
Crohn's disease (n = 60) and ulcerative colitis (n = 71) were diagnosed on the basis of typical histological or radiological features. Active Crohn's disease was defined as a Crohn's disease activity index of 150 or over. Active ulcerative colitis was defined as a liquid stool passed three times a day or more with blood. Blood samples were assessed for haemoglobin concentration, total white cell count, platelets, plasma viscosity, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, serum albumin, and C-reactive protein.
Results:
Plasma viscosity was higher in those with active Crohn's disease compared with those with inactive Crohn's disease or active ulcerative colitis. Plasma viscosity correlated significantly with erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, and platelet count in patients with Crohn's disease. In ulcerative colitis plasma viscosity correlated only with serum C-reactive protein. Plasma viscosity showed a low sensitivity for detecting active Crohn's disease, with 48% of those with active disease having a plasma viscosity within the laboratory reference range.
Conclusions:
Plasma viscosity is related to disease activity in Crohn's disease, but is insufficiently sensitive for it to replace erythrocyte sedimentation rate as a measure of the acute phase response in Crohn's disease.