RESUMEN
Background: We tested the hypothesis that, elevated levels of C-reactive protein might serve as prognostic marker for the classification of Crohn’s disease and its clinical course. Objectives: The present study was undertaken to explore if serum C-reactive protein (sCRP) levels along with the conventional cytogenetic and molecular genetic approaches might serve as efficient prognostic markers with respect to disease classification and clinical course in Crohn’s disease (CD) patients. Methods: We enrolled 43 patients with Crohn’s disease from Tamilnadu region, south of India. The patients were mainly classified into four groups based on disease location. A further sub-classification based on activity of disease was also undertaken in the study. Classification of type of disease activity was based on colonoscopic reports and radiological findings. An equal number of healthy normal age and sex-matched controls were also taken for the study. Results: A positive correlation between sCRP levels, and disease location was observed. Employing a cut-off level of 10 mg/dL, the index CRP level was found to discriminate patients with different locations of the disease along with disease condition when compared to controls. Cytogenetic analysis showed sporadic changes in such patients. The widely reported NOD2 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were absent in the patients studied. Conclusion: Different levels of sCRP seem to correlate well with disease location and disease activity. In some of the patients, the CRP levels appeared to reflect disease activity, while in others persistently high levels seem to suggest active disease. Altogether, a positive correlation of CDAI values with CRP levels along with an increase in frequency of chromosomal aberrations was observed in CD patients.