Chronic inflammatory bowel

CIBD diagnostics are based on the clinical picture of the patient as well as on a combination of laboratory, endoscopic, histological and radiological examinations. The severity of the symptoms and the duration of the episodes vary from patient to patient.The fecal inflammation marker calprotectin is an important parameter in laboratory analyses. In addition to early diagnosis, it enables discrimination of CIBD from functional bowel diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome. The additional detection of CIBD-associated autoantibodies (IgA and IgG) in serum can further secure the diagnosis. EUROIMMUN offers BIOCHIP combinations with different IIFT substrates to detect specific autoantibodies against intestinal goblet cells, exocrine pancreas, anti-neutrophil cytoplasm antibodies (ANCA) as well as antibodies against Saccharomyces cerevisiae (ASCA). In addition, the detection of ASCA can be performed monospecifically by EUROLINE or ELISA.

To discriminate irritable bowel syndrome from CIBD and to further differentiate CIBD from each other, the EUROIMMUN portfolio includes ELISA, EUROLINE and IIFT test systems.
In around 10% of cases, a mixed form is observed, which cannot be clearly classified as either of the two diseases (indeterminate colitis).

In both CD and UC, the intestinal barrier of the mucosa and intestinal epithelium is weakened so that pathogenic bacteria from the intestinal lumen can enter the epithelial cells and trigger an inflammatory response.

When the gastrointestinal tract is inflamed, neutrophil granulocytes pass through the intestinal mucosa into the lumen where they release calprotectin, a calcium- and zinc-binding protein that stimulates an immune response and has an antimicrobial effect. The calprotectin released into the intestinal lumen accumulates and is then excreted in the stool. Fecal calprotectin can therefore help to distinguish CIBD from irritable bowel syndrome.

For the differentiation of different CIBD and their differentiation from irritable bowel syndrome, targeted differential diagnostics are of great importance.