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Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is no cure at present, and only drugs and surgery can relieve symptoms, delay and reduce recurrence. Therefore, it is very important to monitor the disease activity. Glycocalyx, a polyglycoprotein complex covering luminal side of vascular endothelial cells, is supportive in maintaining the intestinal mucosal barrier, and inflammation leads to its structural damage. This review introduces currently available non-invasive biomarkers of clinical importance for IBD in laboratory testing, and analyzes the value of serum glycocalyx injury markers (syndecan-1, HS and HA) in the diagnosis or monitoring of IBD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]