Infrared spectrometric biomarkers for ulcerative colitis screening using human serum samples.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Spectroscopy
• Molecular Diagnostics
• Gastroenterology

Background:

• Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease.
• Accurate and early diagnosis of UC is crucial for effective management.
• Current diagnostic methods can be invasive or lack specificity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential of infrared (IR) spectrometry for diagnosing colitis.
• To identify specific spectral signatures in serum indicative of colitis.
• To evaluate the diagnostic performance of identified spectral signatures.

Main Methods:

• Serum samples from 18 UC patients and 28 healthy volunteers were analyzed using IR spectrometry.
• Analysis focused on absorbance values and ratios at specific wavenumbers (e.g., 1033, 1076, 1121, 1020 cm⁻¹).
• Protein secondary structure was assessed via deconvolution of the amide I band.

Main Results:

• Statistically significant differences were observed in five spectral signatures between UC patients and healthy controls.
• The spectral signature I₁₁₂₁/I₁₀₂₀ demonstrated 100% sensitivity and 86% specificity.
• Colitis-induced molecular alterations correlated with specific vibrational mode fluctuations.

Conclusions:

• IR spectrometry can detect molecular changes in serum associated with colitis.
• Specific spectral signatures show promise as a non-invasive diagnostic biomarker for UC.
• Findings support the development of IR-based diagnostics for human patients, consistent with prior animal model studies.