Serum Interleukin (IL)-23 and IL-17 Profile in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Patients Could Differentiate between Severe and Non-Severe Disease

Interleukin (IL)-17 and IL-23 are crucial for mediating gut mucosal inflammation in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which has led to new therapeutic strategies. We assessed the relevancy of IL-17 and IL-23 serum levels as potential biomarkers towards severe IBD discrimination and disease-related complications. Sixty-two patients diagnosed with Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) were included. Serum IL-17 and IL-23 were measured by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). IL-23 and fecal calprotectin (FCal) were significantly higher in severe CD (p p p = 0.001, respectively), compared to mild or moderate. Elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) was correlated with severe disease only in CD (p = 0.008), whereas for UC, disease severity was associated with increased IL-17 values (p p p = 0.04). Both IL-17 and IL-23 correlate with IBD severity, and IL-23 might be a promising novel biomarker for severe CD. Identifying the dominant IL pathway involved in IBD severity could serve as guidance for clinical decision-making on biologic therapy