Perinuclear antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies in patients with Crohn's disease define a clinical subgroup

Gastroenterology. 1996 Jun;110(6):1810-9. doi: 10.1053/gast.1996.v110.pm8964407.

Abstract

Background & aims: Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) have been consistently detected in a subgroup of patients with Crohn's disease (CD). This study was designed to determine whether serum ANCA expression in patients with CD characterizes an identifiable clinical subgroup.

Methods: The study population consisted of 69 consecutive patients with an established diagnosis of CD as determined by a combination of characteristic clinical, radiographic, endoscopic, and histopathologic criteria. Sera from the patients were analyzed for the presence of ANCAs using the fixed neutrophil enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) assay. Perinuclear ANCA (pANCA)-positive and cytoplasmic ANCA (cANCA)-positive results by ELISA were confirmed by indirect immunofluorescence staining. Clinical profiles of the ANCA-positive patients with CD were compared with those of patients with CD not expressing ANCA (ANCA-negative).

Results: pANCA-positive patients with CD have endoscopically and/or histopathologically documented left-sided colitis and symptoms of left-sided colonic inflammation, clinically reflected by rectal bleeding and mucus discharge, urgency, and treatment with topical agents. One hundred percent of patients with CD expressing pANCA had "UC-like" features.

Conclusions: In patients with CD, serum pANCA expression characterizes a UC-like clinical phenotype. Stratification of CD by serum pANCA provides evidence of heterogeneity within CD and suggests a common intestinal mucosal inflammatory process among a definable subgroup of patients with CD and UC expressing this marker.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic / analysis*
  • Biomarkers
  • Colitis, Ulcerative / immunology
  • Colitis, Ulcerative / pathology
  • Crohn Disease / classification*
  • Crohn Disease / immunology*
  • Crohn Disease / pathology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Phenotype

Substances

  • Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic
  • Biomarkers