Clerc F, et al. - Plasma N-glycosylation profiles were compared between patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC) and healthy individuals (controls) via analyzing the total plasma N-glycomes of 2,635 patients with inflammatory bowel diseases and 996 controls by mass spectrometry with a linkage-specific sialic acid derivatization technique. Compared with controls, plasma samples from patients with IBD demonstrated a higher abundance of large-size glycans, a decreased relative abundance of hybrid and high-mannose structures, lower fucosylation, lower galactosylation, and higher sialylation (alpha2,3- and alpha2,6-linked). Plasma from patients with CD compared to that of patients with UC showed higher bisection, lower galactosylation and higher sialylation (alpha2,3-linked). Glycosylation patterns were noted to be associated with disease location and progression, the need for a more potent medication, and surgery.