Significance of serum sialic acid in patients with Crohn’s disease

Serum sialic acid was measured to evaluate the activity of Crohn’s disease. The sialic acid levels of patients with Crohn’s disease in remission (CRP 0.0 mg/dl) were significantly higher than those of healthy subjects and postoperative patients with Crohn’s disease. In patients in remission, serum sialic acid was significantly correlated with hemoglobin, hematocrit, platelet, and rapid turnover protein. Correlations with platelet, retinol-binding protein, and prealbumin were especially strong. From these findings, it was concluded that serum sialic acid level provides a useful index of the activity of Crohn’s disease.