PLASMA GLICENTIN CONCENTRATION IN PATIENTS WITH CROHNS-DISEASE

Enteroglucagon has been reported to have trophic effects on the intest inal mucosa, and is associated with proliferation and repair after var ious injuries of the small intestine. Glicentin is an active enteroglu cagon, and is present in the largest amount in the intestine. We estab lished a method for quantifying human plasma levels of glicentin, and measured these levels in patients with Crohn's disease. Twenty-three p atients with Crohn's disease (14 males and 9 females) and 8 healthy ad ults were enrolled in this study. A sandwich ELISA method was used to quantify immunoreactive glicentin in plasma sampled from subjects fast ing in the early morning and after the oral administration of 75 g glu cose (Trelan G(R)). The plasma glicentin levels in fasting subjects we re significantly higher in patients with active-stage Crohn's disease, and were similar between the remission-stage Crohn's disease and norm al controls. These levels after glucose administration were significan tly higher in patients with active-stage Crohn's disease than in those with the disease in remission or in healthy controls. However, the pa ttern of the changes in the plasma glicentin levels after the glucose administration was similar among the three groups. These data suggest that plasma glicentin levels might reflect the pathological conditions and activity in Crohn's disease.