Identification of Specific Autoantibodies and Autoantigens in Pediatric Patients with Ulcerative Colitis

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 22K15919
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 52050:Embryonic medicine and pediatrics-related
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: Hiejima Eitaro 京都大学, 医学研究科, 特定病院助教 (60773520)
• Project Period (FY): 2022-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 小児潰瘍性大腸炎 / 抗インテグリンαvβ6自己抗体 / クローン病 / 診断 / バイオマーカー

Outline of Final Research Achievements

A non-invasive and disease-specific marker for diagnosing pediatric ulcerative colitis (UC) is strongly required. Analysis of serum anti-integrin αvβ6 antibodies in pediatric UC patients revealed that these antibodies were detected with very high sensitivity (94.7%) and specificity (81.3%), indicating that this autoantibody can be a useful diagnostic marker for UC in pediatric patients. Notably, 33% of pediatric Crohn's disease (CD) patients in this study had anti-integrin αvβ6 antibodies in contrast to the low number in adult CD patients. Pediatric CD patients positive for anti-integrin αvβ6 antibodies exhibited UC-like colonic lesions, indicating that the clinical features of pediatric CD differ based on the presence or absence of these antibodies.

Free Research Field

小児消化器肝臓病

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では、抗V6抗体の測定が小児UCの診断における非侵襲的かつ疾患特異的な検査として有用であることを世界で初めて示し、論文に報告した。また、小児CD患者においては、抗V6抗体の測定が疾患の層別化に寄与する可能性が示唆された。今後の研究により、抗V6抗体の測定を用いた小児UCの病勢評価法が確立されれば、リスクの高い内視鏡検査の回数を減らすことが期待できる。また、小児CDにおいては、同測定による治療反応性の予測や治療の最適化が期待される。