A simple urine test could detect Crohn’s disease even before it appears, Canadian researchers have suggested.
In a study published Thursday in the American Gastroenterological Association, researchers explained that the disease could be caused by an alteration in the permeability of the lining of the intestines which prevents the immune system from activating in the presence of microbiota bacteria.
Crohn’s disease is indeed an abnormal inflammation of the intestines that causes intestinal discomfort such as cramps, pain or diarrhea on a recurring basis. There is no cure for the approximately 280,000 Canadians who live with it.
However, intestinal permeability can be measured by the level in the urine of lactulose, a sugar that does not pass through the lining.
Today, diagnosing Crohn’s disease is difficult, since it requires several examinations and tests to rule out other pathologies.
This advance in our understanding of the disease is due to the Genetics, Environmental and Microbial (GEM) project, which since 2008 has been following thousands of Canadians whose parents have Crohn’s disease.
“No one else in the world has such a cohort and such a wealth of samples and data to study the causes of inflammatory bowel disease,” said Dr. Kenneth Croitoru, principal investigator of the study and gastroenterologist at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto. We have long focused on how to control symptoms and inflammation. Here we ask ourselves how to cure the disease, and we now have fascinating data on the possible early triggers of Crohn’s disease. “
–
