Human neutrophil peptides 1-3 are useful biomarkers in patients with active ulcerative colitis.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

A specific useful biomarker for diagnosing ulcerative colitis (UC) has not yet been described. This study employed proteomics to identify serum protein biomarkers for UC.

METHODS:

Ninety-four blood samples were isolated from patients and controls (including 48 UC, 22 Crohn's disease [CD], 5 colorectal cancer, and 6 infectious colitis patients and 13 healthy subjects). Serum samples were analyzed using the SELDI-TOF/MS ProteinChip system. After applying the samples to ProteinChip arrays, we assessed differences in the proteomes using Ciphergen ProteinChip software and identified candidate proteins, which were then characterized in immunoassays.

RESULTS:

Preliminary analysis using the ProteinChip system revealed significant peak-intensity differences for 27 serum proteins between 11 patients with UC and 7 healthy subjects. Among these proteins, 3 proteins (with mass/charge ratios of approximately 3400) were identified as human neutrophil peptides 1-3 (HNP 1-3). The presence of HNP 1-3 in the patient sera was confirmed using immunoassays. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays demonstrated that the mean plasma concentration of HNP 1-3 was significantly higher in patients with active UC (n = 28) than in patients whose UC was in remission (n = 20) or patients with CD (n = 22), infectious colitis, or healthy subjects, and tended to be higher than in patients with colon cancer. In addition, the plasma concentration of HNP 1-3 in patients that responded to corticosteroids-based therapy decreased after treatment, whereas it was not changed in nonresponders.

CONCLUSIONS:

HNP 1-3 is a novel biomarker that may be useful for diagnosing patients with active UC and predicting treatment outcomes.

• Authors: Shuji Kanmura, Hirofumi Uto, Masatsugu Numata, Shinichi Hashimoto, Akihiro Moriuchi, Hiroshi Fujita, Makoto Oketani, Akio Ido, Mayumi Kodama, Hidehisa Ohi, Hirohito Tsubouchi
• Journal: Inflammatory bowel diseases (Inflamm Bowel Dis) Vol. 15 Issue 6 Pg. 909-17 (Jun 2009) ISSN: 1536-4844 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 19107772 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Biomarkers
• alpha-Defensins
• human neutrophil peptide 1
• human neutrophil peptide 2
• human neutrophil peptide 3

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Aged
• Biomarkers (blood)
• Child
• Colitis, Ulcerative (blood, pathology, therapy)
• Female
• Humans
• Intestinal Mucosa (metabolism)
• Intestines (pathology)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Neutrophils (metabolism, pathology)
• Predictive Value of Tests
• Protein Array Analysis
• Young Adult
• alpha-Defensins (blood)