Detection of Pro- and Anti-Inflammatory Cytokines in Stools of Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Background: Cytokines play a predominant role in immune and inflammatory reactions in inflammatory bowel disease. Any cytokine that is produced locally as a result of gut inflammation may leak into the bowel lumen and appear in the stools. We examined the usefulness of determining cytokine profiles in the stools of patients with ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease. Methods: Cytokine concentrations in stool extracts were measured in 36 patients with ulcerative colitis, 32 patients with Crohn's disease, 9 controls with inflammatory disease, and 18 normal controls by means of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Results