Anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae antibodies in patients with inflammatory bowel disease and their first-degree relatives: Potential clinical value

Anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae antibodies (ASCA) have been described
as specific markers in Crohn's disease and their healthy
first-degree relatives. 171 patients with Crohn's disease, their
105 first-degree relatives, 145 patients with ulcerative colitis
and 101 first-degree relatives of patients with ulcerative colitis,
50 patients with infectious enterocolitis and 100 healthy controls
were tested for ASCA employing the ELISA technique. When compared
with the healthy controls (p < 0.0001) and patients with
infectious enterocolitis (p < 0.0001) the prevalence of ASCA was
significantly increased in patients with Crohn's disease and their
first-degree relatives (p < 0.01). Further significant
differences concerning the frequency of ASCA within the different
groups of our study population were not observed. In particular,
ASCA were not found in increased prevalence in infectious
enterocolitis. These observations are compatible with a role of
ASCA as a marker of genetic predisposition to Crohn's disease.
Copyright (C) 2002 S. Karger AG, Basel.