Serum Immune Responses Predict Rapid Disease Progression among Children with Crohn’s Disease: Immune Responses Predict Disease Progression

摘要

BACKGROUND AND AIMCrohn’s disease (CD) is a heterogeneous disorder characterized by diverse clinical phenotypes. Childhood-onset CD has been described as a more aggressive phenotype. Genetic and immune factors may influence disease phenotype and clinical course. We examined the association of immune responses to microbial antigens with disease behavior and prospectively determined the influence of immune reactivity on disease progression in pediatric CD patients.