Plasma carnitine ester profile in Crohn's disease

Background: Very recent data show that the human OCTN1 and OCTN2 carnitine (C) transporter orthologs likely map to the IBD5 locus at 5q31, which has been suggested to confer susceptibility to Crohn's disease (CD). Therefore, a link between a pathogenic role of C and the CD can exist. The circulating C ester profile has not been investigated in CD. Aim: We determined the plasma C profile in adult patients with CD and compared with healthy control subjects. Patients and methods: The circulating C profile were detected by ESI triple quadrupol tandem mass spectrometry in 41 patients with CD and in 31 healthy age and sex matched controls. Results: There were significant differences in the fasting free C levels between patients with CD and healthy controls (average±SEM.) (65.8±2.3 vs. 57.7±1.5) (p<0.01). The fasting C2 (8.1±0.55 vs. 10.5±0.4, p<0.01), C4 (0.21±0.017 vs. 0.36±0.04, p<0,001), C5 (0.12±0.008 vs. 0.21±0.03, p<0.001), C6 (0.07±0.005 vs. 0.09±0.01, p<0.01), C5-OH (0.03±0.001 vs. 0.04±±0.003, p<0.001), C5-DC (0.04±0.003 vs. 0.05±0.003, p<0.001), C6-DC (0.03±0.002 vs. 0.04±0.003, p<0.05), C16-OH (0.03±0.001 vs. 0.023±0.001, p<0.01) and C18:2 (0.12±0.006 vs. 0.14±0.006, p<0.01) ester levels were significantly decreased in CD patients compared with controls. Conclusion: The data show involvement of the C system in CD, and the results suggest a selective impairment of the C ester absorption and/or metabolism.