Prognostic biomarkers to identify patients destined to develop severe Crohn’s disease who may benefit from early biological therapy: protocol for a systematic review meta-analysis and external validation

摘要

BackgroundIt is believed increasingly that patients with severe Crohn’s disease are best treated early with biological therapy, which may ameliorate subsequent disease course and diminish long-term complications. However, we cannot predict currently which new presentations of Crohn’s disease are destined to develop severe disease so treatment cannot be targeted to the most appropriate patients. Accordingly, via systematic review and meta-analysis we aim to identify if biomarkers of disease activity are able to predict development of severe disease.