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

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.