Is the disease course predictable in inflammatory bowel diseases?

Table 1 Possible use of predictors for long and short term disease course in inflammatory bowel diseases

	Marker name	Clinical outcome
Clinical markers	Young age at onset (pediatric or < 40 yr)	Disabling disease
	Small bowel disease
	Stricturing
	Perianal disease weight loss > 5 kg
	Steroid need for the first flare at diagnosis
	Early immunosupression and/or biological therapy (protective?)
	Young age at onset (pediatric or < 40 yr)	Surgery
	Small bowel disease
	Stricturing or penetrating at diagnosis
	Early immunosupression and/or biological therapy (protective?)
	Extensive disease	Colectomy in UC
	Younger age at onset (< 50 yr)
	Smoking (protective)
Genetic markers	NOD2/CARD15	Disease location/behavior/surgery in CD
	rs1363670 near IL12B	Disease behavior
	TPMT	Azathioprine toxicity
Serology markers	ASCA, glycans	Complicated disease, surgeries
Biomarkers	CRP	Clinical flares
	ESR
	Calprotectin
Endoscopy markers	Complete or partial mucosal healing (protective)	Clinical flares and surgery

NOD2/CARD15: Nucleotide oligomerization domain2/caspase activation recruitment domain15; TPMT: Thiopurine S-methyltransferase; ASCA: Anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae antibodies; CRP: C reactive protein; ESR: Erythrocyte sedimentation rate; CD: Crohn’s disease; UC: Ulcerative colitis.