Clinical Relevance of the Serum Dipeptidyl Peptidase IV (DPP IV/CD26) Activity in Adult Patients with Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis

摘要

Dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP IV/CD26),a serine-type protease,is a membrane-anchored enzyme widely expressed in many cell types.DPP IV is also present in a soluble form in the serum.The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical relevance of the changes in serum DPP IV activity in adult patients with inflammatory bowel diseases-IBD (Crohn's disease-CD and Ulcerative colitis-UC).Both serum DPP IV activities in patients with CD (36.8+-1.5min~(-1) dm~(-3)) and UC (33.9+-2.1 mumol min~(-1) dm~(-3)) were statistically significantly decreased compared to healthy controls (48.4+-1.1 mumol min~(-1) dm~(-3)),(.P<0.001).The values correlated inversely with the disease severity for both diseases.No statistically significant difference in the serum DPP IV activity in patients with CD and UC was found and therefore it cannot be a good marker for a differential diagnosis.However,it appears to be useful as an available non-invasive marker in the diagnosis of disease activity.