Background: Increased collagen remodelling is a key pathophysiological component underlying intestinal stricture and fistula development in Crohn's disease (CD).
Aims: To investigate associations between serological biomarkers of collagen turnover and disease behaviour according to the Montreal classification in patients with CD.
Methods: Serological biomarkers of type III/IV collagen formation (PRO-C3, PRO-C4) and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) or granzyme-B (GrzB)-mediated type I, III, IV and VI collagen degradation (C1M, C3M, C4M, C4G, C6Ma3) were measured using neo-epitope protein fingerprint assays in 101 patients with CD (Montreal B1: n = 37; B2: n = 27; B3: n = 37) and 96 controls. Patients were followed up until their last outpatient visit to monitor stricturing/penetrating disease progression and recurrence and the occurrence of surgical interventions.
Results: C1M, C3M and C4M were significantly reduced in patients with stricturing disease (Montreal B2) and accurately differentiated them from patients with either non-stricturing, non-penetrating (B1) or penetrating (B3) disease (all p < 0.001, multivariable analysis). Similarly, the type IV collagen formation/degradation (PRO-C4/C4M) ratio demonstrated high discriminative capacity (B1/B2: AUC = 0.90; B1/B3: AUC = 0.87, both p < 0.001, multivariable analysis). Prospectively, higher baseline levels of C1M and C4G were associated with an increased risk of penetrating disease progression (C4G: hazard ratio [HR] 1.71 [1.05-2.81], p < 0.05).
Conclusions: Elevated degradation of type I, III and IV collagen and excessive (relative) formation of type IV collagen strongly associates with stricturing CD. Type I and IV collagen fragments show predictive potential for the risk of penetrating disease progression. These biomarkers may become valuable tools for detection and prediction of stricturing and penetrating CD.
© 2022 The Authors. Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.