Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2011 May-Jun;17(3):194-8.
doi: 10.4103/1319-3767.80383.

Biological and histological parameters as predictors of relapse in ulcerative colitis: a prospective study

Sheenam Azad  1 , Neena Sood, Ajit Sood
Affiliations

Biological and histological parameters as predictors of relapse in ulcerative colitis: a prospective study

Sheenam Azad et al. Saudi J Gastroenterol. 2011 May-Jun.

Abstract

Background/aim: Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory disease of unknown etiology characterized by periods of remission and relapses. This study has been carried out in a group of North Indian patients, where the disease has shown an increasing prevalence and frequent relapses. Hence, there is a need to predict relapse for better management and to reduce morbidity. To assess the importance of biological and histological parameters in predicting relapse when the disease is in quiescent phase.

Materials and methods: A prospective study of twenty-six patients with quiescent ulcerative colitis was carried out in Dayanand Medical College and Hospital,Punjab. Only patients with clinical and endoscopic remission at the time of screening visit were included. Hemoglobin, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP) and serum Interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels were measured. The baseline colonoscopic mucosal biopsies were retrieved and studied. Follow-up was conducted for one year at monthly interval or earlier if relapse occurred.

Results: Fifteen out of twenty-six patients (57.69%) had evidence of clinical relapse during the follow-up. Hemoglobin, ESR, CRP and IL-6 levels were not found to be significant predictors of relapse. Increased number of eosinophils and neutrophils in the lamina propria were observed to be associated with significantly higher relapse rate.

Conclusion: A higher risk of relapse in patients with quiescent colitis can be predicted by the presence of increased number of eosinophils and neutrophils in the lamina propria.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Photomicrograph showing crypt distortion and increase in chronic inflammatory cells in the lamina propria. Arrowheads point toward the basal lymphoid aggregate (H and E, ×100)
Figure 2
Figure 2
Photomicrograph showing an increase in eosinophils (arrows) in the lamina propria (H and E, ×1000)
Figure 3
Figure 3
Photomicrograph showing an increase in neutrophils in the lamina propria and epithelium (H and E, ×400)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Whelan G. Epidemiology of inflammatory bowel disease. Med Clin North Am. 1990;74:1–12. - PubMed
    1. Sood A, Midha V V, Sood N, Bhatia AS, Avasthi G. Incidence and prevalence of ulcerative colitis in Punjab, North India. Gut. 2003;52:1587–90. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Buckell NA, Lennard-Jones JE, Hernandez MA, Kohn J, Riches PG, Wadsworth J. Measurement of serum proteins during attacks of UC as a guide to patient management. Gut. 1979;20:22–7. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Kishimoto T. The biology of interleukin-6. Blood. 1989;74:1–10. - PubMed
    1. Tracey KJ, Vlassara H, Cerami A. Cachectin/tumour necrosis factor. Lancet. 1989;1:1122–6. - PubMed