Immunological laboratory diagnostics of non-specific gut inflammation.

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), with Crohn‛s Disease (CD) and ulceratice colitis (UC) as the two main disorders, is a heterogenous group of disease of unknown etiology. IBD serological markers may be important in the diagnosis of IBD, for differentiating CD from UC. The major serological marker in commonal use are ASCA and ANCA. Recently new antiglycan antibodies have been identified: anti laminaribioside carbohydrate antibodies - ALCA and anti chitobioside carbohydrate antibodies ACCA. The antibodies are significantly associated with CD. AIMS: To evaluate the significance of the recently discovered novel antibodies: ALCA and ACCA METHODS: Assesment of pANCA, ASCA, ALCA and ACCA was performed using the standardized indirect immunoflourescence technique and ELISA. Serum samples were obtained from 89 pacients with CN and from 33 pacients with UC. Results were considered positive if: ASCA> 15 U/ml, ALCA> 60 EU and ACCA> 90 EU. RESULTS: ASCA was positive for 78.8% (70/89) of patiens with CD and 12,1% (4/33) of pacients with UC. pANCA was positive for 42.4%(14/33) of patiens with UC and 7,8%(7/89) of patiens with CN. The ASCA IgA test yielded 71.3% sensitivity and 93.9% specificity for CN. The ASCA IgG test yielded 57,3% sensitivity and 93.9% specificity for CN. The ANCA test yielded 41.9%..