Assessing the activity of Inflammatory Bowel Disease using the serum marker: Neutrophil Gelatinase Associated Lipocalin (NGAL)

Fatma Abozeid, Lecturer of Internal Medicine, Hepatology and gastroenterology unit, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, EGYPT
Karim Ali, Resident of Hepatology and Gastroenterology at Mansoura Specialized Hospital, Mansoura, EGYPT
Mounir Bahgat, Professor of Internal Medicine, Hepatology and Gastroenterology unit, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, EGYPT
Maha Maher, Professor of Internal Medicine, Hepatology and Gastroenterology unit, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, EGYPT
Asmaa M. Borg, Lecturer of clinical pathology, Clinical immunology unit, faculty of medicine, Mansoura University, EGYPTFollow

Corresponding Author

Asmaa M. Borg, MD; Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura city, El-Dakahliya governorate, Egypt; Tel: (+2) 01016611881; Email address dr_asmaaborg@mans.edu.eg & drasmaaa2010@yahoo.com ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5653-8147, Zip postal code : 35516 , fax : 050 2230287.

Subject Area

Hepatology and GIT

Article Type

Original Study

Abstract

Background: IBD, or inflammatory bowel disease, is an active and remitting illness. One of the most overexpressed genes in the colonic mucosa of patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) is lipocalin 2, the coding gene of neutrophil gelatinase associated lipocalin (NGAL). We investigated NGAL's applicability in assessing IBD activity. Methods: This study was a single center case control type. Thirty of the sixty IBD patients who participated in the study were in remission, and thirty were in active disease. Twenty-eight healthy controls were included. Enrolled were patients with CD or UC. The control group and all patients underwent ELISA testing for serum NGAL, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, and complete blood count. Patients received ileo-colonoscopy along with fecal calprotectin. The CDAI (Crohn's disease activity index) for CD and the MAYO score for UC were used to assess the IBD activity. Results: The mean± SD ng/ml (38.01 ± 9.52) of NGAL was significantly higher in patients with active IBD than in those in remission (21.14 ± 4.22). It revealed a highly significant correlation with IBD's endoscopic and clinical activity. Serum NGAL exhibits 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity in its ability to differentiate between healthy controls and patients with active IBD, with an AUC 95% C.I =1.00 (0.94-1.0) at the cutoff of 18.53, P< 0.0001. Conclusion: Patients with active IBD can be easily distinguished from healthy controls using serum NGAL. Moreover, it can distinguish between IBD active and remittent patients. In comparison to other markers like CRP, ESR, or fecal calprotectin, NGAL performs better statistically predictor in terms of IBD activity.

Recommended Citation

Abozeid, Fatma; Ali, Karim; Bahgat, Mounir; Maher, Maha; and Borg, Asmaa M. (2023) "Assessing the activity of Inflammatory Bowel Disease using the serum marker: Neutrophil Gelatinase Associated Lipocalin (NGAL)," Mansoura Medical Journal: Vol. 53 : Iss. 1 , Article 2.
Available at: https://doi.org/10.58775/2735-3990.1407