Clinical application of the multigene analysis test in discriminating between ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease: a retrospective study.

Methods: The newly described--multigene analysis test (DiBiCol) identifying 7 inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)-specific genes in colonic mucosal biopsy differentiating between ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) with active inflammation--is a new addition to existing methods with a higher stated sensitivity and specificity. Method biopsy material from 78 patients with a complicated course diagnosed as most probably UC in 38, CD in 18 and inflammatory bowel disease unclassified (IBDU) in 22 were investigated by DiBiCol.

Results: DiBiCol showed a pattern consistent with CD in 13 patients with UC and led to change of diagnosis in 3 patients and a strong suggestion of CD in 8 patients.