Observational Study
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2021.
World J Gastroenterol. Mar 7, 2021; 27(9): 866-885
Published online Mar 7, 2021. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v27.i9.866
Table 1 Patient demographics and medical characteristics
Parameters
Controls (n = 82)
Crohn’s disease (n = 115)
Ulcerative colitis (n = 51)
Women 57 (69.5%)58 (50.4%)27 (52.9%)
Age (yr), median (IQR)51.5 (36.5-60)42 (28-58)44 (37-56)
Disease duration (yr), median (IQR)6 (3-11)9 (3-14)
Age at diagnosis (yr)
A1; A2; A3, n (%)10 (8.7); 57 (49.6); 48 (41.7)8 (15.7); 29 (56.9); 14 (27.5)
Disease behavior
B1; B2; B3, n (%)53 (46.1); 20 (17.4); 42 (36.5)-
Disease location
L1; L2; L3/E1; E2; E3, n (%)16 (13.9); 39 (33.9); 60 (52.2)14 (27.5); 17 (33.3); 20 (39.2)
Perianal disease23 (20.0%)-
EIM12 (10.4%)3 (5.9%)
PSC6 (5.2%)5 (9.8%)
Previous surgery36 (31.3%)2 (3.9%)
Medical therapy
Biologicals38 (33.0%)5 (9.8%)
Immunosuppressants66 (57.4%)22 (43.1%)
Steroids17 (14.8%)3 (5.9%)
Salicylates18 (15.7%)26 (51.0%)
Clinically active60 (52.2%)33 (64.7%)
Endoscopically active77 (66.9%)35 (68.6%)
Histologically active33/71 (46.5%)9/29 (31.0%)
CRP, mg/L1.65 (1.4-6.0)2.8 (1.6-8.1)4.3 (2.0-7.6)
ESR, mm/h22 (10-30)22 (10-42)35 (19-67)
Fecal calprotectin, µg/g122 (45-201)199 (52-325)218 (115-370)
Beta-glucan, µg/mL 17 (8-33)35 (17-74)23 (9-54)
Table 2 Performance analysis of different cutoff values of serum beta-glucan for patients with Crohn’s disease in relation to endoscopic and histological criteria
Predicted outcomeCutoffSensitivitySpecificityPPVNPVAccuracy
Endoscopic inflammationBeta-glucan4050.0 (39.0-61.0)71.8 (56.2-83.5)77.5 (64.1-87.0)42.4 (31.2-54.4)57.4 (48.3-66.0)
(μg/mL)6034.2 (24.5-45.4)87.2 (73.3-94.4)83.9 (67.4-92.9)40.5 (30.6-51.2)52.2 (43.1-61.1)
Calprotectin10075.0 (56.6-87.3)53.3 (30.1-75.2)75.0 (56.6-87.3)53.3 (30.1-75.2)67.4 (52.5-79.5)
(μg/g)20053.6 (35.8-70.5)66.7 (41.7-84.8)75.0 (53.1-88.8)43.5 (25.6-63.2)58.1 (43.3-71.6)
CRP349.2 (37.1-61.4)50.0 (31.4-68.6)71.4 (56.4-82.8)27.9 (16.7-42.7)49.4 (39.0-59.8)
(mg/L)534.4 (23.7-46.9)66.7 (46.7-82.0)72.4 (54.3-85.3)28.6 (18.4-41.5)43.5 (33.5-54.1)
Histological inflammationBeta-glucan4078.8 (62.2-89.3)60.5 (44.7-74.4)63.4 (48.1-76.4)76.7 (59.1-88.2)69.0 (57.5-78.6)
(μg/mL)6057.6 (40.8-72.8)76.3 (60.8-87.0)67.9 (49.3-82.1)67.5 (52.5-79.5)67.6 (56.1-77.3)
Calprotectin10069.2 (42.4-87.3)41.7 (19.3-68.0)56.2 (33.2-76.9)55.6 (26.7-81.1)56.0 (37.1-73.3)
(μg/g)20046.1 (23.2-70.9)50.0 (25.4-74.6)50.0 (25.4-74.6)46.1 (23.2-70.9)48.0 (30.0-66.5)
CRP357.7 (38.9-74.5)62.1 (44.0-77.3)57.7 (38.9-74.5)62.1 (44.0-77.3)60.0 (46.8-71.9)
(mg/L)553.8 (35.5-71.2)79.3 (61.6-90.1)70.0 (48.1-85.4)65.7 (49.1-79.2)67.3 (54.1-78.2)
Table 3 Performance analysis of different cutoff values of serum beta-glucan for patients with ulcerative colitis in relation to endoscopic and histological criteria
Predicted outcomeCutoffSensitivitySpecificityPPVNPVAccuracy
Endoscopic inflammationBeta-glucan4040.0 (25.6-56.4)87.5 (64.0-96.5)87.5 (64.0-96.5)40.0 (25.6-56.4)54.9 (41.4-67.7)
(μg/mL)6022.9 (12.1-39.0)87.5 (64.0-96.5)80.0 (49.0-94.3)34.1 (21.6-49.4)43.1 (30.5-56.7)
Calprotectin10081.2 (57.0-93.4)20.0 (3.6-62.4)76.5 (52.7-90.4)25.0 (4.6-69.9)66.7 (45.4-82.8)
(μg/g)20062.5 (38.6-81.5)80.0 (37.5-96.4)90.9 (62.3-98.4)40.0 (16.8-68.7)66.7 (45.4-82.8)
CRP360.9 (40.8-77.8)20.0 (5.7-51.0)63.7 (42.9-80.3)18.2 (5.1-47.7)48.5 (32.5-64.8)
(mg/L)543.5 (25.6-63.2)60.0 (31.3-83.2)71.4 (45.3-88.3)31.6 (15.4-54.0)48.5 (32.5-64.8)
Histological inflammationBeta-glucan4066.7 (35.4-87.9)90.0 (69.9-97.2)75.0 (40.9-92.8)85.7 (65.4-95.0)82.8 (65.5-92.4)
(μg/mL)6055.6 (26.7-81.1)95.0 (76.4-99.1)83.3 (43.6-97.0)82.6 (62.9-93.0)82.8 (65.5-92.4)
Calprotectin100100.0 (64.6-100.0)25.0 (7.1-59.1)53.8 (29.1-76.8)100.0 (34.2-100.0)60.0 (35.7-80.2)
(μg/g)20085.7 (48.7-97.4)50.0 (21.5-78.5)60.0 (31.3-83.2)80.0 (37.5-96.4)66.7 (41.7-84.8)
CRP357.1 (25.0-84.2)33.3 (13.8-60.9)33.3 (13.8-60.9)57.1 (25.0-84.2)42.1 (23.1-63.7)
(mg/L)542.9 (15.8-74.9)58.3 (31.9-80.7)37.5 (13.7-69.4)63.6 (35.4-84.8)52.6 (31.7-72.7)
Table 4 Patient demographics and medical characteristics of the subgroup for the analysis of noninvasive markers
Parameters
Control group (n = 15)
Crohn’s disease group (n = 28)
Ulcerative colitis group (n = 25)
P value
Women, n (%)11 (73)12 (43)16 (64)0.110
Age (yr), median (IQR)57 (37-63)36 (26-58)41 (33-56)0.158
Disease duration (yr), median (IQR)6 (2-12.5)9 (3-10.5)0.521
Age at diagnosis (yr)
A1; A2; A3, n (%)3 (11); 14 (50); 11 (39)5 (20); 15 (60); 5 (20)0.269
Disease behavior
B1; B2; B3, n (%)16 (57); 4 (14); 8 (29)--
Disease location
L1; L2; L3/E1; E2; E3, n (%)5 (18); 9 (32); 14 (50)5 (20); 12 (48); 8 (32)-
Perianal disease, n (%)5 (18)--
EIM, n (%)4 (14)2 (8)0.391
PSC, n (%)1 (3.6)3 (12)0.263
Previous surgery, n (%)9 (32)1 (4.0)0.010
Medical therapy, n (%)
Biologicals10 (36)2 (8.0)0.017
Immunosuppressants18 (64)5 (20)0.001
Steroids8 (29)1 (4.0)0.019
Salicylates6 (21)14 (56)0.010
Clinically active, n (%)13 (46)21 (84)0.005
Endoscopically active, n (%)23 (82)17 (68)0.191
Histologically active, n (%)14/22 (64)4/14 (29)0.043
Beta-glucan, µg/mL26 (8-43)79 (30-183)23 (9-69)0.0003a
LBP, pg/mL19.2 (16.4-22.7)27.3 (24.3-28.6)21.8 (19.8-24.6)0.002b
Zonulin, pg/mL16.4 (15.3-17.1)17.6 (16.6-19.0)17.2 (16.6-18.7)0.09
IL-17 (102), pg/mL0.04 (0.0-1.50)0.08 (0.0-1.75)0.00 (0.00-0.60)0.2479
IFN-gamma, pg/mL0.00 (0.00-0.690)0.021 (0.00-0.66)0.25 (0.001-0.92)0.5276
TNF-alpha (102), pg/mL0.00 (0.00-1.00)0.10 (0.00-7.80)0.00 (0.00-20.01)0.9004
IL-10, pg/mL0.00 (0.00-0.00)0.00 (0.00-4.56)1.35 (0.00-3.66)0.4801
IL-6, pg/mL3.27 (2.38-9.05)5.70 (0.31-35.73)4.35 (2.28-15.91)0.4149
IL-4, pg/mL0.055 (0.00-6.81)0.00 (0.00-0.087)0.00 (0.00-1.31)0.2597
IL-2, pg/mL0.00 (0.00-0.052)0.00 (0.00-0.010)0.00 (0.00-0.04)0.9204