Research progress on the relationship between inflammatory bowel disease and intestinal trefoil factor

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of chronic non-specific inflammatory bowel diseases that requires lifelong treatment and long-term follow-up.In recent years, the incidence of IBD in children is increasing year by year, which seriously affects children′s quality of life, growth and mental health.The diagnosis of IBD requires a comprehensive analysis of patients′ history, lab biochemistry, radiology, endoscopy and histopathology examinations and so on.There are no reliable non-invasive tests and biomarkers for follow-up.Trefoil factor family 3 (TFF3), identified essencial in the repairment of intestinal inflammation and promoting mucosal regeneration, playsan important rolein the pathogenesis of IBD.We review the relationship between intestinal trefoil factor and IBD, and further to discuss the possibility whether intestinal trefoil factor can act as a serum marker to assess the activity of IBD. Key words: Inflammatory bowel disease; Trefoil factor family 3; Biochemical marker; Intestinal epithelial barrier