The described research focused on the diagnostic usefulness of sulfated
glycosaminoglycans (sGAG),
hyaluronan (HA), and extracellular part of
syndecan-1 (sCD138) as new markers related to extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling in the intestine during the two most common forms of
inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), i.e.,
ulcerative colitis (UC) and
Crohn' disease (CD). Inflammatory markers belonging to ECM components were assessed in serum of patients with IBD using an immunoenzymatic method (HA and sCD138) and a method based on the reaction with
dimethylmethylene blue (sulfated GAG). Measurements were carried out twice: at baseline and after one year of
therapy with
prednisone (patients with CD) or
adalimumab (patients with UC). No quantitative changes were observed in serum sGAG, HA, and sCD138 concentrations between patients newly diagnosed with CD and the healthy group. In the case of patients with UC, the parameter which significantly differentiated healthy subjects and patients with IBD before
biological therapy was HA. Significant correlation between serum HA level and
inflammation activity, expressed as Mayo score, was also observed in patients with UC. Moreover, the obtained results have confirmed that
steroid therapy with
prednisone significantly influenced the circulating profile of all examined ECM components (sGAG, HA, and sCD138), whereas
adalimumab therapy in patients with UC led to a significant change in only circulating sGAG levels. Moreover, the significant differences in serum HA levels between patients with UC and CD indicate that quantification of circulating HA may be useful in the differential diagnosis of CD and UC.