Warning signs could predict inflammatory bowel disease a decade before diagnosis

Antibody patterns in the blood may help doctors identify people at risk so they can be treated earlier, research shows.

Patterns of antibodies in people’s blood could predict the onset of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) a decade before diagnosis, according to research that raises hopes for catching the condition early. Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, the two main forms of IBD, are typically treated only after symptoms appear, when the gut has already been damaged.

Scientists found that the immune system sends warning signals up to a decade before diagnosis, paving the way for potentially earlier detection and even prevention. Dr. Arno Bourgonje at the University Medical Centre Groningen in the Netherlands and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York stated:

“

“For too long we have only been able to treat inflammatory bowel disease once the damage is done, and for many people that is too late. What we have shown is that the disease begins years before symptoms appear, and the immune system leaves warning signs long before diagnosis.”

He added, “This is not yet a test that can tell someone they will become ill, but it is an important step towards catching the disease earlier and, one day, preventing it.”