University of Padua

Andrea Buda, Sonia Facchin, Liboria Digiglio, Renata D’Incà, Margherita Morpurgo, Giacomo Carlo Sturniolo.

The patented diagnostic kit enables a rapid and early differential diagnosis of ulcerative colitis, making it possible to distinguish it from Crohn's disease. This is useful in avoiding the risk of prescribing unsuitable treatments, which could cause health problems for the patient and increase the costs of treating the disease.

Chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) include Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Their differential diagnosis is based on clinical, laboratory, radiological, endoscopic and histological evidence. However, because of overlapping histological features in 10-15% of patients undergoing intestinal tissue biopsies and a similar localisation of the inflammation, differentiation between these two conditions is not always certain, resulting in a consequent delay in the choice of the most appropriate treatment. The low specificity of the serological markers currently available on the market means that, to date, there is no universally recognised diagnostic test for the differential diagnosis of the two conditions. The method covered by the patent therefore makes it possible, through the use of a marker, to discriminate between the different types of intestinal inflammation.

• It enables early and differential diagnosis among the various types of intestinal inflammation;
• It reduces the time and costs involved in treating inflammatory bowel diseases.

• Diagnosis, based on biopsies of inflamed intestinal tissue, to distinguish ulcerative colitis from Crohn's disease among IBDs (inflammatory bowel disease).

Patent published on 2/12/2020. Deadline for expressions of interest: 2/01/2021

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