Test measures a person’s immune response to flagellin, a protein present in intestinal bacteria from the ‘Lachnospiraceae’ family.
Scientists have developed a blood test that can predict Crohn’s disease years before symptoms appearpaving the way for early diagnosis and, potentially, prevention through a vaccine
The test allows you to measure the immune response from one person to flagelinaa protein present in intestinal bacteria from the ‘Lachnospiraceae’ family.
According to scientists, the presence of antibodies against flagellin long before the appearance of any symptoms suggests that this immune reaction may contribute to triggering the onset of the disease, rather than being a consequence of it, says the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, in Canada, which conducted the work, described in the publication Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
The team followed 381 first-degree relatives of people with Crohn’s disease, 77 of whom later developed the disease. Of these, 28 showed high antibody responses, being stronger in siblings.
The researchers confirmed that the pre-disease response to flagellin from the ‘Lachnospiraceae’ bacteria was associated with intestinal inflammation and to intestinal barrier dysfunctionboth characteristics of Crohn’s disease.
The usual period between taking the blood sample and diagnosing Crohn’s disease in people in the pre-disease phase was almost two and a half years.
In one, scientists had found that people with Crohn’s disease have high levels of antibodies directed to the flagellin of the bacteria ‘Lachnospiraceae’ and that long before the development of the pathology, an inflammatory immune response to these intestinal bacteria may arise.
In healthy people, bacteria they coexist peacefully in the intestine and play an essential role in maintaining digestive health.
In Crohn’s disease, however, the immune system appears to trigger a abnormal response against normally beneficial microorganisms, says the note from the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute.
Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that can cause cramping abdominal pain, diarrhea, weight loss and fatigue.
The results released by researchers from the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Institute, which require validation in further studies, reveal, according to the authors, the potential for creating a vaccine targeting the flagellin of intestinal bacteria in people considered at high risk to prevent the onset of Crohn’s disease.
