Trends Mol Med. 2022 Aug;28(8):693-705. doi: 10.1016/j.molmed.2022.05.004.Epub 2022 May 31.

Arno R Bourgonje ¹, Thomas Vogl ², Eran Segal ³, Rinse K Weersma ⁴

Author information

¹Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: a.r.bourgonje@umcg.nl.

²Diagnostic and Research Institute of Hygiene, Microbiology and Environmental Medicine, Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria.

³Department of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel; Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.

⁴Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.

Abstract

Adequate functioning of the intestinal barrier is required in order to repel invading pathogens while tolerating commensal microbiota and self-antigens. Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), encompassing Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), are characterized by disrupted intestinal barrier integrity, resulting in excessive passage of luminal antigens and the activation of aberrant immune responses against otherwise unexposed antigens. A comprehensive overview of the exact antigens associated with IBD is still lacking, but recent innovative antibody profiling technologies have enabled systematic characterization of humoral immunity in health and disease. Here, we review established serological antibodies and novel high-throughput methods, such as protein arrays, phage-display immunoprecipitation sequencing (PhIP-Seq), and B cell receptor sequencing (BCRseq), and provide an outlook on their applications in disease diagnostics, therapeutic interventions, and opportunities for prevention in IBD.