RESUMEN
Background: Fucosyltransferase 2 (FUT2) and FUT3 specifically catalyze the biosynthesis of human histo-blood group antigens, and has been demonstrated to be closely related to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, there are few clinical studies focusing on FUT2, FUT3 and IBD. Aims: To investigate the expressions of FUT2 and FUT3 in intestinal mucosa of IBD patients with various clinical characteristics and their clinical relevance. Methods: Patients initially diagnosed as active IBD in the Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University from January 2019 to December 2020 were recruited consecutively. Endoscopic biopsy specimens prior to the initiation of treatment were collected to assess the expressions of FUT2 and FUT3 immunohistochemically. Correlations of FUT2, FUT3 with the clinical characteristics and inflammatory indicators were analyzed. Results: Seventy cases of ulcerative colitis (UC), 37 Crohn's disease (CD), and 66 healthy subjects were enrolled. The positivity rate and relative expression level of FUT2 were decreased, while those of FUT3 were increased in CD group than in control group (all P0.05). But moderate positive correlations were found between FUT3 expression and the serum C-reactive protein and fecal calprotectin (r=0.259, P=0.007; r=0.388, P=0.001). Conclusions: FUT2 and FUT3 might be used as indicators for the assistant diagnosis of IBD and assessment of drug therapy response.
