• Leslie Saurer, Silvia Rihs, Michèle Birrer, Nikolina Saxer-Seculic, Markus Radsak, Christoph Mueller, and Swiss IBD Cohort Study.
• Division of Experimental Pathology, Institute of Pathology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland. leslie.saurer@pathology.unibe.ch
• J Crohns Colitis. 2012 Oct 1;6(9):913-23.

Background & AimsTriggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 (TREM-1) is a potent amplifier of pro-inflammatory responses. We have previously demonstrated a substantial increase in TREM-1-expressing macrophages in the inflamed intestinal mucosa of patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). TREM-1 is also produced as a soluble receptor (sTREM-1). Here, we aimed to determine whether serum sTREM-1 could be used as a surrogate marker of disease activity in patients with IBD.MethodsIntestinal biopsies and concurrently collected sera from patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and Ulcerative colitis (UC) enrolled in the Swiss IBD cohort study were analyzed for intestinal TREM-1 mRNA and serum sTREM-1 expression. TREM-1 mRNA and sTREM-1 were correlated with the endoscopically determined disease activity. Serum sTREM-1 and TREM-1 mRNA expression levels were further determined in sera and colonic tissues collected at various time-points post disease induction in an experimental mouse model of colitis and correlated with disease activity.ResultsExpression of TREM-1 mRNA was upregulated in intestinal biopsies from patients with active disease but not in patients with quiescent disease. Serum sTREM-1 was elevated in IBD patients compared to normal controls. No substantial differences in sTREM-1 expression levels were found in patients with active versus quiescent disease. In colitic mice, colonic TREM-1 mRNA and serum sTREM-1 were also upregulated. While colonic TREM-1 mRNA expression levels correlated with disease activity, augmented serum sTREM-1 in fact associated with a milder course of disease.ConclusionsAnalysis of sTREM-1 as a surrogate marker of disease activity in patients with IBD warrants caution.Copyright © 2012 European Crohn's and Colitis Organisation. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

40 keywords...

hide…