Future prospective cohort studies aimed at early IBD detection could include longitudinal assessments of fecal Lcn2, calprotectin, microbiota, or other subclinical biomarkers to non-invasively search for flaring patterns in relatives of IBD patients, patients with IBD risk alleles at the HNF4A locus, or patients with frequent GI symptoms that have not yet been diagnosed with IBD. This evidence concerns the gene HNF4A and inflammatory bowel disease.