Serum complement C3 and α-macroglobulin are potentially useful biomarkers for inflammatory bowel disease patients.

Aims: Ulcerative colitis (UC), characterized by chronic inflammation and its recurrence in the large intestine, is well known as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Suitable biomarkers specific for UC are poorly understood till date. We aimed to discover novel serum biomarkers for UC and identify good indicators that reflected the severity of UC.

Main Methods: Serum samples were obtained from out-patients with IBD (n = 101) and healthy volunteers (HVs, n = 101). Serum proteins were subjected to high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and sodium dodecyl sulfate-electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis. After electrophoresis, proteins in the gel were identified by mass spectrometry. Further, the protein concentration was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). Based on the results, correlations between the serum levels of these proteins and the disease activity index scores for UC were statistically evaluated.

Principal Findings: HPLC showed that chromatograms of serum proteins from HVs apparently differed from those of patients with IBD. Eleven protein bands, which were different in their protein concentrations from those in HVs, were separated by SDS-PAGE accordingly. Among them, complement C3 (c-C3) and α-macroglobulin (α-MG), with high protein scores, were identified by mass spectrometry. The serum concentration of c-C3 in patients with IBD was higher than that in HVs. However, the level of α-MG in patients with IBD was significantly lower than that in HVs. Hence, the serum levels of c-C3 and α-MG could be good indicators of the severity of UC.

Conclusion: Serum c-C3 and α-MG are suitable biomarkers for monitoring the condition of patients with UC.