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Volume 26
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10.3390/ijms26094034
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Fecal Arachidonic Acid: A Potential Biomarker for Inflammatory Bowel Disease Severity

by
Muriel Huss
1,
Tanja Elger
1,
Claudia Kunst
1,
Johanna Loibl
1,
Sabrina Krautbauer
2,
Gerhard Liebisch
2,
Arne Kandulski
1,
Martina Müller
1,
Hauke Christian Tews
1 and
Christa Buechler
1,*
1
Department of Internal Medicine I, Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Endocrinology, Rheumatology, Immunology, and Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
2
Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(9), 4034; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26094034
Submission received: 4 February 2025 / Revised: 16 April 2025 / Accepted: 23 April 2025 / Published: 24 April 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Diagnosis and Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Arachidonic acid levels are elevated in the colonic mucosa of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Fecal metabolites are emerging as valuable diagnostic tools for IBD. This study aimed to investigate associations between 31 fecal fatty acids, including arachidonic acid, to identify potential correlations with disease severity. Among the 31 fatty acids analyzed in feces, dihomo-γ-linolenic acid, arachidonic acid, and adrenic acid were significantly increased in patients with IBD compared to controls. In contrast, levels of linoleic acid and γ-linolenic acid, the precursors of arachidonic acid, were similar between both groups. No significant differences in fatty acid levels were observed between patients with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Arachidonic acid and adrenic acid levels positively correlated with fecal calprotectin, a clinically established marker of IBD severity, but showed no association with stool consistency or the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale. This suggests that these fatty acids are linked to disease severity rather than disease-related symptoms. Current IBD-specific medications had no significant impact on the fecal levels of any of the 31 fatty acids. In summary, this study demonstrates elevated fecal levels of dihomo-γ-linolenic acid, arachidonic acid, and adrenic acid in IBD patients. Normal levels of precursor fatty acids suggest that impaired downstream metabolism may contribute to the accumulation of these n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Keywords: fatty acids; feces; calprotectin; stool consistency; inflammatory bowel disease; biomarker fatty acids; feces; calprotectin; stool consistency; inflammatory bowel disease; biomarker

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Huss, M.; Elger, T.; Kunst, C.; Loibl, J.; Krautbauer, S.; Liebisch, G.; Kandulski, A.; Müller, M.; Tews, H.C.; Buechler, C. Fecal Arachidonic Acid: A Potential Biomarker for Inflammatory Bowel Disease Severity. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26, 4034. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26094034

AMA Style

Huss M, Elger T, Kunst C, Loibl J, Krautbauer S, Liebisch G, Kandulski A, Müller M, Tews HC, Buechler C. Fecal Arachidonic Acid: A Potential Biomarker for Inflammatory Bowel Disease Severity. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2025; 26(9):4034. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26094034

Chicago/Turabian Style

Huss, Muriel, Tanja Elger, Claudia Kunst, Johanna Loibl, Sabrina Krautbauer, Gerhard Liebisch, Arne Kandulski, Martina Müller, Hauke Christian Tews, and Christa Buechler. 2025. "Fecal Arachidonic Acid: A Potential Biomarker for Inflammatory Bowel Disease Severity" International Journal of Molecular Sciences 26, no. 9: 4034. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26094034

APA Style

Huss, M., Elger, T., Kunst, C., Loibl, J., Krautbauer, S., Liebisch, G., Kandulski, A., Müller, M., Tews, H. C., & Buechler, C. (2025). Fecal Arachidonic Acid: A Potential Biomarker for Inflammatory Bowel Disease Severity. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 26(9), 4034. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26094034

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