Increased circulating circular RNA_103516 is a novel biomarker for inflammatory bowel disease in adult patients.

Background: Increasing evidence demonstrates that by acting as microRNA sponges modulating gene expression at the transcriptional or post-transcriptional level, circular RNAs (circRNAs) participate in the pathogenesis of a variety of diseases and are considered ideal biomarkers of human disease.

Aim: To examine the expression of circRNA_103516 in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and its associations with clinical phenotypes and inflammatory cytokines.

Methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were obtained from patients with IBD, healthy controls (HCs), and patient controls (PCs).