The following is a summary of “Level of interleukin 17 in inflammatory bowel disease and its relation with disease activity,” published in the April 2024 issue of Gastroenterology by Menesy et al.
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic relapsing inflammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). It results in progressive structural and functional damage to the intestinal epithelium, necessitating lifetime medication. There is an imbalance in the production of T helper 1 (Th1), Th2, and Th17 cytokines.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study investigating whether serum interleukin-17 (IL-17) levels in patients with IBD correlate with disease activity.
They conducted a single-center case-control study at the hepatology and gastroenterology unit of Mansoura Specialized Medical Hospital in Egypt. Patients aged 18-65 diagnosed with either Ulcerative Colitis (UC) or Crohn’s Disease (CD) based on previous colonoscopy were included. Disease activity was assessed using the MAYO score for UC and the CD activity index (CDAI) for CD. There were 55 patients with UC, 24 patients with CD, and 21 control patients. Excluded were individuals under 15 years old with a history of gastrointestinal malignancy or serious comorbidities. The study protocol received approval from the Institution Research Board (IRB) of Mansoura Medical College. All patients underwent comprehensive assessments, including history taking, physical examination, colonoscopy, and laboratory investigations such as serum IL-17 levels measured by ELISA and CBC, CRP, ESR, and fecal calprotectin.
The results showed a notable increase in serum IL-17 levels among patients with UC, with a median (min-max) of 72 (21–502) pg/ml, compared to patients with CD at 54.5 (25–260) pg/ml and controls at 19 (14–35) pg/ml (P<0.001). However, no correlation was found between IL-17 levels and disease activity as assessed by the Mayo score for UC or CDAI for CD. Significant correlations were observed between the extent of inflammation in UC and the type of CD (P<0.05). IL-17 levels were not significantly correlated with CRP, ESR, or fecal calprotectin but showed a negative correlation with Hb levels (r =-0.28, P=0.005). No notable link was found between IL-17 levels and disease duration (P=0.6). Median IL-17 levels were higher among hospitalized than non-hospitalized cases (73 pg/ml and 55 pg/ml, respectively; P<0.002). The AUC significantly differentiated between IBD and control groups (AUC = 0.993), with a best-detected cutoff point of 32 pg/ml yielding sensitivity of 97.5% and specificity of 95.2%.
Investigators concluded that elevated serum IL-17 levels were associated with colonic inflammation in patients with IBD compared to controls but did not correlate with disease activity.
Source: bmcgastroenterol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12876-024-03218-7