Pre-diagnostic immunological features of inflammatory bowel disease

Recent evidence suggests that the development of IBD includes an asymptomatic preclinical period, as it is also seen in other immune-mediated diseases, and that immunological biomarkers, in combination with other relevant biomarkers, measured during this period might allow for risk stratification, earlier disease prediction and diagnosis. However, more research in the field of preclinical IBD is needed to understand the pathogenesis of this phase as well as to what extent immunological biomarkers can be used for early disease diagnosis. Furthermore, the evidence suggests that event in the early life period is associated with later disease development, however, studies directly linking early-life immunological molecular features with later disease development are lacking. The overall goal of the project is to investigate the early life immunological features of pre-diagnostic IBD through the use of inflammatory biomarkers and thereby attempt to elucidate relevant predictive markers in conjunction with gaining important biological information about the pre-clinical phase of IBD.