Serum LRG concentrations correlate well with disease activity in UC. LRG induction is robust in inflamed colons and is likely to involve an IL-6-independent pathway. Serum LRG is thus a novel serum biomarker for monitoring disease activity in UC and is a promising surrogate for CRP.

Background and aims: A characteristic feature of Crohn's disease (CD) is mesenteric adipose tissue hypertrophy. Mesenteric adipocytes or specific proteins secreted by them may play a role in the pathogenesis of CD. We recently identified adiponectin as an adipocyte specific protein with antiinflammatory properties. Here we report on expression of adiponectin in mesenteric adipose tissue of CD patients. Methods and results: Mesenteric adipose tissue specimens were obtained from patients with CD (n = 22), ulcerative colitis (UC) (n = 8) and, for controls, colon carcinoma patients (n = 28) who underwent intestinal resection. Adiponectin concentrations were determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, and adiponectin mRNA levels were determined by real time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Tissue concentrations and release of adiponectin were significantly increased in hypertrophied mesenteric adipose tissue of CD patients compared with normal mesenteric adipose tissue of CD patients (p = 0.002, p = 0.040, respectively), UC patients (p = 0.002, p = 0.003), and controls (p,0.0001, p,0.0001). Adiponectin mRNA levels were significantly higher in hypertrophied mesenteric adipose tissue of CD patients than in paired normal mesenteric adipose tissue from the same subjects (p = 0.024). Adiponectin concentrations in hypertrophied mesenteric adipose tissue of CD patients with an internal fistula were significantly lower than those of CD patients without an internal fistula (p = 0.003). Conclusions: Our results suggest that adipocytes in hypertrophied mesenteric adipose tissue produce and secrete significant amounts of adiponectin, which could be involved in the regulation of intestinal inflammation associated with CD.

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Our results suggest that probiotic therapy with CBM achieved favorable results with minimal side effects and might be a useful complementary therapy for the prevention of pouchitis in patients with UC who have undergone IPAA.