title: Absence of complement fixing antibodies against lipopolysaccharides from Escherichia coli in a subgroup of patients with Crohn's disease.
abstract: Complement fixing antibodies against different Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharides were determined in patients with Crohn's disease and in healthy individuals and compared with antitetanus toxoid antibodies. All healthy individuals had antilipopolysaccharide antibodies, 10 of 27 patients with Crohn's disease had no antibodies and six had rapidly changing antibody titres. These abnormalities were found in patients with disease in the colon, with arthropathy and fistula. Antilipid A was found at lower titres in Crohn's disease. Neither antitetanus toxoid antibodies, nor immunoglobulin concentrations were different in patients with or without antilipopolysaccharide antibodies. There was no evidence for circulating immune complexes in patients lacking antilipopolysaccharide antibodies. Certain subgroups of patients with Crohn's disease have altered antibody levels to typical enteral antigens which most likely can be explained by local antibody binding to lipopolysaccharides at inflammatory sites, or by changes in immunoregulation in this disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Klinikum Steglitz, Free University Berlin, FRG.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zeitz
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Hope
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wust
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Galanos
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Möller
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Lawley
authors.forename: E O
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Riecken
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex / Q000032:analysis; D003165:Complement System Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000276:immunology*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000032:analysis; D008050:Lipid A / Q000276:immunology; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013745:Tetanus Toxoid / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D008050:Lipid A; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D013745:Tetanus Toxoid; D003165:Complement System Proteins