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Improved biomarkers are needed for pediatric inflammatory bowel disease. Here we identify a diagnostic lipidomic signature for pediatric inflammatory bowel disease by analyzing blood samples from a discovery cohort of incident treatment-naïve pediatric patients and validating findings in an independent inception cohort. The lipidomic signature comprising of only lactosyl ceramide (d18:1/16:0) and phosphatidylcholine (18:0p/22:6) improves the diagnostic prediction compared with high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. Adding high-sensitivity C-reactive protein to the signature does not improve its performance. In patients providing a stool sample, the diagnostic performance of the lipidomic signature and fecal calprotectin, a marker of gastrointestinal inflammation, does not substantially differ. Upon investigation in a third pediatric cohort, the findings of increased lactosyl ceramide (d18:1/16:0) and decreased phosphatidylcholine (18:0p/22:6) absolute concentrations are confirmed. Translation of the lipidomic signature into a scalable diagnostic blood test for pediatric inflammatory bowel disease has the potential to support clinical decision making.

Original publication

DOI

10.1038/s41467-024-48763-7

Type

Journal article

Journal

Nature communications

Publication Date

06/2024

Volume

15

Addresses

School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden.

Keywords

Feces, Humans, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, Phosphatidylcholines, C-Reactive Protein, Leukocyte L1 Antigen Complex, Cohort Studies, Adolescent, Child, Child, Preschool, Female, Male, Biomarkers, Lipidomics