AI Summary
Researchers have discovered that chains of sugar molecules are attached differently to antibodies in patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, potentially leading to a non-invasive blood test for diagnosing inflammatory bowel disease.
Millions of Americans have inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which occurs in one of two forms: Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. Though the two have similar symptoms, they require different treatment strategies, and tests to distinguish between them are invasive. Researchers now show that chains of sugar molecules are tacked onto antibodies differently in patients with the diseases, which could someday lead to a simple blood-based diagnostic test.