Katie Falloon, MD: Finding Biomarkers for Pouch Inflammation

Finding suitable biomarkers remains an elusive goal for gastrointestinal care.

In data presented by Katie Falloon, MD, IBD Fellow, Cleveland Clinic at the 2022 American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) Annual Meeting in Charlotte, examined whether biomarkers exist for pouch inflammation following ileal pouch anal anastomosis (IPAA), an area where biomarkers have not been well characterized.

In the study, the investigators reviewed existing evidence for the use of biomarkers for pouch inflammation and found biomarkers could help improve the management of pouchitis because of the relative ease of sampling compared to endoscopy, but previous research have not consistently demonstrated accuracy in predicting inflammation.

They also found the biomarkers, including fecal calprotectin and serum biomarkers, have not been reliably shown to be sensitive or specific in the association with endoscopic pouch inflammation to warrant widespread clinical use.

In an interview with HCPLive®, Falloon talked about the importance of finding suitable biomarkers, not only for IPAA, but also for other inflammatory diseases like Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

Falloon also said because of new treatments on the market, surgical rates for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been decreasing in recent years.