Evaluate Established Anti-DEFA5 mAbs Diagnostic Efficacy and Safety in IBD

Plain-language summary

Investigators propose to validate efficacy and safety of the detection of DEFA5 in the diagnosis of the colonic IBD using longitudinal vs. cross-sectional studies of known patient clinical data to correlate with their endoscopy biopsy data. 30% of colonic IBD patients cannot be accurately diagnosed (CC vs. UC) in a timely manner even when a state-of-the-art classification system of combined clinical, endoscopic, radiologic and histologic tools are used. When the diagnostic classification for these two diseases is inconclusive, the condition is termed indeterminate colitis (IC). Here, the central medical challenge is the discrimination of IBD into the specific subtypes with high accuracy, as it greatly effects surgical care of patients. Diagnostic accuracy of IC into either authentic UC or CC is of utmost importance when determining a patient's candidacy for RPC-IPAA surgery, the standard curative surgical procedure for UC. Further, incorrect diagnosis and treatment carry potential morbidity from inappropriate and unnecessary surgery and costs. The success outcomes of RPC-IPAA surgery and convalescence depend on correct diagnosis. To address IBD diagnosis ambiguity and delays in IBD clinical settings, investigators developed a proteomic signature to discriminate between UC and CC patients that also will predict the outcome of IC patients for their eventual progress to either UC or CC. Our published data has shown robust evidence supporting presence of human alpha-defensin 5 (DEFA5) in areas of the colon mucosa with aberrant expression of apparent Paneth cell-like cells (PCLCs) or crypt cell-like cells (CCLCs), which identifies an area of colonic ileal metaplasia, consistent with the diagnosis of CC. DEFA5 bioassay discriminated CC and UC in a cohort of all IC patients with accuracy. A fit logistic model with group CC and UC as the outcome and the DEFA5 as independent variable differentiator with a positive predictive value of 96%. These findings were obtained solely from colectomy specimens for both the discovery and validation analyses. Investigators believe that use of endoscopy biopsies would be indifferent, which is the purpose of this prospective patient centered clinical study. Investigators propose to demonstrate that UC and CC, the two unsolved medical subtypes of pathology with no drugs for a cure, can accurately be distinguished molecularly by examining CCLCs-secreted DEFA5 in colonic endoscopy biopsies instantly. Our proposal is highly innovative, as it highlights the robustness of DEFA5 and its clinical relevance to IBD is both in science and the anticipated impact, as investigators seek to better understand difficulty to determine 'subtypes" and translate that to improve diagnosis, treatment, clinical outcomes, and quality of life for patients and the realm of clinical care. DEFA5 immunoreactivity in colonic endoscopy biopsies could be a rapid potential diagnostic signature to resolve IC into authentic UC and CC with a first clinic endoscopy biopsy. IC is likely to be eliminated for good.

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