Abstract
Background
Assessing the inflammation is important in the follow-up of paediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We aim to evaluate the value of B cell-activating factor (BAFF) in paediatric IBD as a potential biomarker for follow-up.
Method
We determined BAFF in serum and faeces and faecal calprotectin (CP) in 32 IBD children—16 Crohn’s disease (CD) and 16 ulcerative colitis (UC). Twenty-six healthy children and 10 children with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) were included as controls.
Results
No differences were found in serum BAFF between IBD, IBS, and healthy group: 1037.35, 990.9 and 979.8 pg/ml, respectively, all p > 0.05, but faecal BAFF was higher in the IBD group: 15.1, 8.5 and 8.2 pg/ml, respectively, p < 0.05, and higher in the UC group (55.975 pg/ml) compared to the CD group (10.95 pg/ml), p = 0.015. Splitting the IBD group in relation to the CP level, the serum BAFF had no significantly different values between the subgroups, but the faecal BAFF was significantly higher in the >250 μg/g subgroup. Cut-off values of BAFF were calculated.
Conclusion
Faecal BAFF is a promising marker for monitoring the children with IBD, higher levels of BAFF being correlated with high CP.
Impact
-
Faecal BAFF is a promising marker in monitoring the children with IBD, higher levels of BAFF being correlated with high faecal calprotectin.
-
To our knowledge, this is the first paediatric study concerning BAFF evaluation in IBD.
-
Faecal BAFF levels could be considered a potential non-invasive marker in monitoring IBD activity in paediatric population with clinically mild or inactive disease.
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Acknowledgements
This work was supported by “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Cluj-Napoca, grant number 3066/20/ from 1 February 2018.
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I.F. and O.S. performed the data acquisition, analysis and interpretation. I.F. D.L.D., D.E.S. and S.C.M. concepted the work and designed the study. I.F. wrote the paper. D.L.D., D.E.S. and S.C.M. critically revised the paper for intellectual content. All the authors approved the final version to be published.
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Fodor, I., Serban, O., Serban, D.E. et al. B cell-activating factor (BAFF) in children with inflammatory bowel disease. Pediatr Res 89, 1798–1803 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-020-01155-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-020-01155-1
