Health · Medical Research · 1 hr ago
Blood antibody patterns may signal IBD up to a decade before diagnosis
Blood antibody patterns may signal inflammatory bowel disease years before diagnosis.
Inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, which can damage the digestive tract and cause pain, diarrhoea and fatigue.
Researchers studied 2,000 blood samples from 500 US military personnel, including people who later developed either condition and people who did not.
Some antibody differences appeared up to a decade before diagnosis, with different patterns linked to Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
The study found a link, not proof that infections cause IBD, and the findings need to be checked in other groups.
The research could help identify people at risk earlier, before symptoms and lasting damage begin.
The techniques remain a research tool, and further studies are needed before they can be used in clinics.
Blood antibody patterns may show signs of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) up to a decade before diagnosis, a study found.
The research examined 2,000 blood samples from 500 US military personnel, including people who later developed Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.
People who later developed Crohn’s disease more often had antibodies against Epstein-Barr virus, while those who developed ulcerative colitis showed a different antibody pattern.
The findings suggest a possible route to earlier detection, but researchers said they need confirmation in other groups and do not prove infections cause IBD.
A gastroenterology professor not involved in the study said the methods remain a research tool and are not ready for clinical use.
- Who
- Researchers at Mount Sinai and the Medical University of Vienna, led by Dr Arno Bourgonje, studied blood samples from US military personnel.
- What
- The study found antibody patterns associated with later Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, visible up to a decade before diagnosis.
- When
- The warning signals were detectable up to a decade before diagnosis. The findings were published on 18 October 2026.
- Where
- The samples came from US military personnel. The findings were presented at a United European Gastroenterology meeting in Barcelona.
- Why
- Researchers hope earlier signs could help identify people at risk before the disease causes damage.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Antibody differences were already visible in samples from people who later developed IBD.
The Guardian published a report on the research and its findings.
The findings were presented.
- Blood samples
- 2,000 samples from 500 US military personnel
- Later Crohn’s disease
- 200 people
- Later ulcerative colitis
- 200 people
- Neither condition
- 100 people
- Potential lead time
- Up to a decade before diagnosis
What people are saying
What we have shown is that the disease begins years before symptoms appear, and the immune system leaves warning signs long before diagnosis
This is not yet a test that can tell someone they will become ill, but it is an important step towards catching the disease earlier and, one day, preventing it.
important insights into the causes of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, potentially adding new tools to help identify those at risk of IBD
very much a research tool