Gastro & Endo News : To Measure IBD Activity, Sweat the Small Stuff

A wrist-worn device can accurately measure inflammatory biomarkers in sweat and may eventually be part of the clinical armamentarium for managing patients with inflammatory bowel disease. The device has been tested only in healthy humans to date, but a clinical trial in nearly 70 IBD patients is in the works, researchers said.

The Sweatsenser (EnLiSense LLC) is worn on a strap on the wrist—or any other extremity—where it collects perspiration and records levels of interleukin-1-beta (IL-1-beta) and C-reactive protein (CRP) by documenting the presence of antibodies binding to these molecules. The information is uploaded to a cloud-based app through which clinicians can access the information and use it to guide treatment.