Role of Plasma Janus Kinase 2 in Assessment of Disease Activity in Ulcerative Colitis

Ghaith, Asmaa Mahdy; Ibraheem, Abeer Mahmoud; Ali, Ezzat; Dwedar, Fatma Ibrahim; Hussien, Hussien Mahmoud

doi:10.21608/svuijm.2025.365215.2141

Role of Plasma Janus Kinase 2 in Assessment of Disease Activity in Ulcerative Colitis

Document Type : Original research articles

Authors

¹ Department of Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.

² Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt

10.21608/svuijm.2025.365215.2141

Abstract

Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic autoimmune disease with increasing incidence worldwide. The pathophysiology of UC is multifactorial, including interplay between immune, gut microbiota, genetic vulnerability, and environment-related factors. Plasma Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) is a protein tyrosine kinase that participates in a group of cytokine receptor signaling pathways.
Objectives: Illustrating the role of plasma JAK2 in the assessment of disease activity in UC.
Patients and methods: We included 75 subjects; 50 had UC diagnoses and 25 were healthy controls. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to determine the plasma JAK2 level. The UC cases were categorized using the Mayo score, Mayo sub-score, and UC Endoscopic Index of Severity (UCEIS) to assess disease activity stages.
Results: The median plasma JAK2 level was significantly higher in UC cases (3086.8 pg/ml) than in the control group (2952.0 pg/ml) (p = 0.049). Plasma JAK2 value positively correlated with the stages of UC disease activity and the inflammatory marker levels (CRP, albumin, fecal calprotectin).
Conclusion: Plasma JAK2 level offers a distinct, trustworthy biomarker that is helpful in tracking the level of mucosal affection in UC.

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