DUCATION PRACTICE Critical Evaluation of Serologic Markers for Inflammatory Bowel isease

t p S b t Clinical Scenario A 44-year-old woman with abdominal pain of 4 onths’ duration is referred to your gastroenterology clinic rom her primary care physician for evaluation of positive erologic markers for IBD. The patient denies diarrhea, bright ed blood per rectum, melena, fevers, and weight loss. She has ormal liver function test results, complete blood count, erythocyte sedimentation rate, and C-reactive protein. There is no amily history of IBD. She has undergone an upper endoscopy, colonoscopy, and a small bowel series, all of which have been ormal. How do you proceed with evaluation and management of his patient? How should the information provided by the ositive serologic markers be used? What is the role of serologic arkers in the diagnosis of IBD?