Plasma soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 in Crohn's disease

Background: No definite conclusions can be drawn from available data on the accuracy of soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 (sTREM-1) to assess disease activity in Crohn's disease. Aims: Plasma sTREM-1 levels were correlated with disease activity markers in Crohn's disease. Methods: 191 consecutive patients from a single referral centre (Nancy IBD cohort) were prospectively enrolled between June 1, 2005 and December 12, 2008. Plasma sTREM-1 levels were also assessed amongst 20 healthy controls. Results: The sTREM-1 was detectable in 87 Crohn's disease patients (46%). Plasma sTREM-1 level was higher in Crohn's disease patients (interquartile range, 0-356) than in healthy controls (interquartile range, 0-15.1; P = 0.01). It was neither correlated with Crohn's disease activity index (r=0.05, P=0.56), C-reactive protein (r=0.06, P=0.53), nor with albumin (r=0.041, P=0.66). Crohn's disease activity index, C-reactive protein and albumin median levels were similar between patients with positive sTREM-1 levels and those with undetectable sTREM-1 levels. Azathioprine (P=0.06), infliximab (P=0.68) and methotrexate (P=0.56) did not influence sTREM-1 levels. Conclusion: Plasma sTREM-1 does not appear to be an accurate marker of disease activity in Crohn's disease and cannot be recommended for assessing disease activity in these patients. (C) 2012 Editrice Gastroenterologica Italiana S.r.l. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.