Long non‑coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a novel group of non‑coding RNAs that are associated with inflammation and tumorigenesis. At present, the diagnostic efficacy of lncRNAs in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is unclear. The present study aimed to identify lncRNAs that may be used as potential biomarkers for IBD. The mRNA expression levels of various lncRNAs (KIF9‑AS1, LINC01272 and DIO3OS) were detected in tissue and plasma samples from patients with IBD by reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The results indicated that the mRNA expression levels of KIF9‑AS1 and LINC01272 were significantly upregulated in tissue and plasma samples from patients with IBD compared with in the healthy controls; conversely, the mRNA expression levels of DIO3OS were significantly downregulated in tissue and plasma samples from patients with IBD compared with in the healthy controls. Subsequently, the specificity and sensitivity of KIF9‑AS1, LINC01272 and DIO3OS were determined using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The results indicated that KIF9‑AS1, LINC01272 and DIO3OS had potential diagnostic value for the detection of IBD. Furthermore, there were significantly positive correlations in KIF9‑AS1, LINC01272 and DIO3OS expression between IBD tissue and plasma samples. Therefore, the present study indicated that KIF9‑AS1, LINC01272 and DIO3OS may be potential diagnostic biomarkers for IBD.