Inflammatory bowel disease biomarkers and related methods of treatment

A method of determining whether a potential therapeutic agent is efficacious in the treatment of IBD comprising:

• a) obtaining a first biological sample from an IBD patient prior to being treated with the potential therapeutic agent;
• b) treating the IBD patient with the potential therapeutic agent;
• c) obtaining a second biological sample from the IBD patient after being treated with the potential therapeutic agent;
• d) measuring in said first and second sample the levels of two or more biomarkers, or the levels of expression of two or more biomarkers;
• and
• e) comparing the biomarker levels in the second sample to the levels in the first sample, wherein lower biomarker levels in the second sample than in the first sample indicate that the potential therapeutic agent is efficacious,
• and further wherein the two or more biomarkers are selected from the group consisting of calprotectin (a complex of SEQ ID NOs:
• 18 and 20), PAP/REG3α (SEQ ID NO:
• 14), MIF (SEQ ID NO:
• 10), DMBT1 (SEQ ID NO:
• 8), LCN2 (SEQ ID NO:
• 12), IL-22 (SEQ ID NO:
• 22), haptoglobin (SEQ ID NO:
• 24), CCL20 (SEQ ID NO:
• 6), CRP (SEQ ID NO:
• 26), IL-6 (SEQ ID NO:
• 28), IL-17 (SEQ ID NO:
• 30) and lactoferrin (SEQ ID NO:
• 32).

An ELISA kit comprising antibodies (or antigen binding fragments thereof) that specifically bind to two or more biomarkers selected from the group consisting of calprotectin complex of SEQ ID NOs:

• 18 and 20), PAP/REG3α (SEQ ID NO:
• 14), MIF (SEQ ID NO:
• 10), DMBT1 (SEQ ID NO:
• 8), LCN2 (SEQ ID NO:
• 12), IL-22 (SEQ ID NO:
• 22), haptoglobin (SEQ ID NO:
• 24), CCL20 (SEQ ID NO:
• 6), CRP (SEQ ID NO:
• 26), IL-6 (SEQ ID NO:
• 28), IL-17 (SEQ ID NO:
• 30) and lactoferrin (SEQ ID NO:
• 32).