Sweat-Based Sensor Tracks C-Reactive Protein and Calprotectin in 33 Patients
A noninvasive perspiration sensor developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas tracks inflammation and inflammatory markers in patients with inflammatory bowel disease, DocWireNews reported. Sarah Shahub, PhD, and her research team conducted the cross-sectional study to evaluate the wearable device’s effectiveness in monitoring biomarkers.
The device continuously samples sweat to measure C-reactive protein and calprotectin levels as indicators of inflammation. Investigators enrolled 33 patients diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease for the trial. Measurements of body perspiration were taken by the sensor every 60 seconds during standard wear times lasting between 40 and 130 minutes.
Biomarker Expression Across Sample Types
Researchers compared the expression of C-reactive protein in perspiration samples obtained via the wearable sensor against expression levels measured in simultaneous serum samples. They similarly compared calprotectin expression in sweat against measurements taken from stool sample subcohorts. The findings, published in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, demonstrated consistency between the perspiration measurements and standard serum and stool lab results.
Did you know?
The wearable device records body perspiration measurements every 60 seconds while patients wear the sensor for 40 to 130 minutes during standard assessments.
Patients with Crohn’s disease showed higher median C-reactive protein levels in both perspiration and serum samples compared to individuals with ulcerative colitis. Conversely, median calprotectin markers ran higher in patients with ulcerative colitis than in those with Crohn’s disease. Inflammation of the colon was linked to increased median calprotectin levels across perspiration, stool, and serum samples when measured against patients with isolated ileal disease.
Age and Disease Activity Drive Data Variance in Patient Study
Investigators performed a principal component analysis on patient demographic data to identify variables driving data variance. The analysis revealed that age, specific diagnosis, and overall disease activity were major contributors to variance within the dataset. When researchers integrated endoscopic scores into the principal component analysis, both endoscopy scores and disease activity showed strong contributions to primary data variance.
Age-based differences also emerged during the evaluation. Median C-reactive protein levels in serum and perspiration samples ran higher in patients younger than 40 years compared to their older counterparts. In contrast, median calprotectin levels were higher in serum, perspiration, and stool samples obtained from patients aged 40 years and older than in younger participants.
Common Inquiries Regarding the Wearable Sensor Study
How many patients participated in the University of Texas at Dallas study?
The cross-sectional trial enrolled 33 patients diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease to test the noninvasive perspiration sensor.
Which biomarkers did the wearable device monitor in sweat?
The sensor continuously sampled perspiration to track C-reactive protein and calprotectin levels as indicators of inflammation.
Where were the findings of this wearable sensor study published?
The research results from Sarah Shahub, PhD, and colleagues were published in the journal Inflammatory Bowel Diseases under DOI 10.1093/ibd/izag173.