Given what is known about the role of SMAD7 and TGF-β in IBD and RCD, our study hypothesis had been that p-SMAD2,3 levels would be decreased in the context of high SMAD7 as SMAD7 inhibits the phosphorylation of SMAD2 and SMAD3 [16, 17]. Here, SMAD7 is linked to inflammatory bowel disease.