Prospective Study of the Natural History, Immunological and Genetic Characteristics of Preclinical Inflammatory Bowel Disease

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are investigating the natural history and immunological and genetic characteristics of preclinical Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), including Crohn Disease and Ulcerative Colitis. This observational study focuses on the earliest stages of IBD, before symptoms appear, to understand disease progression and complications such as fistulas, abscesses, and strictures. The study is a collaborative, multicenter research project aimed at gaining new insights into IBD development through long-term follow-up and advanced analyses. Participants include three groups: asymptomatic patients newly diagnosed with IBD during colorectal cancer screening colonoscopies, patients with new-onset symptomatic IBD diagnosed within the last 3 months, and healthy controls with normal colonoscopies and no signs of IBD. The study follows participants for 10 years, with visits every 6 months. During this time, blood, serum, plasma, urine, stool, and bowel tissue samples will be collected for multi-omic analyses, alongside clinical assessments. Throughout the 10-year period, participants will have detailed evaluations including clinical visits, colonoscopy findings, and monitoring of disease characteristics, activity, and complications. Researchers will track the development of symptoms, need for medical or surgical treatment, and extraintestinal manifestations. The study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of IBD progression using both clinical data and biological samples collected over time.

Immunological Characteristics of Preclinical IBD