8th Annual BMRP Investigator Meeting - Abstract
Capsule Endoscopy for the Assessment of Abnormal Intestinal Permeability in Crohn’s Disease Relatives
Chris Teshima1, Daniel Wong1, Peter Ho1, Valerie Templeman2, Wael El Matary2, Hien Huyhn2, Dina Kao1, Jonathan Meddings1 and Levinus A. Dieleman1,a
1Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine and 2Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta (Edmonton, Canada)
The pathogenesis of Crohn’s disease is thought to be due to a combination of genetic, environmental and immunological factors. One of these factors is an increased intestinal permeability, as measured by the lactulose/mannitol absorption test. This “leaky gut” is also shown in 10-20% of asymptomatic first degree relatives of Crohn’s patients. Capsule endoscopy is one of the most sensitive tests to detect small bowel lesions. The aim of the study was assess if this “leaky gut” in first degree relatives is associated with small bowel lesions that could precede clinical Crohn’s disease, as detected by capsule endoscopy.
We found that abnormal intestinal permeability was most prevalent in relatives of young age and with a female gender, especially when their probands had ileal disease. Our preliminary results also demonstrated a trend towards a mild endoscopic abnormality score in relatives with abnormal intestinal permeability, although intestinal lesions were also shown in subjects in the absence of a “leaky gut”. However, the number of enrolled subjects is still too low to draw firm conclusions.
Our results may lead to improved understanding of disease pathogenesis, to the possibility of earlier disease detection, and may possibly provide opportunities for earlier treatment and/or disease prevention.
aPrincipal Investigator