TNFAIP6 is a potential biomarker of disease activity in inflammatory bowel disease.

AIM:Ideal biomarkers are needed for evaluating the activity of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We aimed to investigate the value of TNFAIP6 as a biomarker. MATERIALS & METHODS:Inflamed colonic samples and serum samples were collected from patients with Crohn's disease (CD), patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), and normal controls. SPSS 18.0 was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS:Serum TNFAIP6 was higher in IBD patients than in normal controls and correlated with the inflammatory indicators. Compared with active patients, TNFAIP6 was decreased in both CD and UC patients in remission. Furthermore, TNFAIP6 concentrations consistent with TNF-α level, correlated well with disease location and extent of both CD and UC. CONCLUSION:Serum TNFAIP6 may be a promising biomarker for evaluating the disease activity of IBD, demonstrating the diagnostic value in disease location differentiation.