title: P-ANCA in monozygotic twins with inflammatory bowel disease.
abstract: Perinuclear antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (P-ANCA) have been demonstrated in patients with ulcerative colitis and in a higher frequency than expected in their first degree relatives. A hypothesis was proposed that P-ANCA is genetically determined and may represent a subclinical marker of genetic susceptibility to ulcerative colitis. This study analysed P-ANCA in monozygotic twins with inflammatory bowel disease to evaluate this hypothesis further. P-ANCA was analysed with indirect immunofluorescence technique in 12 monozygotic twin pairs with ulcerative colitis and 14 twin pairs with Crohn's disease. Furthermore, the study included 21 non-twin patients with ulcerative colitis, 18 non-twin patients with Crohn's disease, and 52 healthy controls matched for sex and age. In ulcerative colitis P-ANCA occurred in nine of 14 (64.3%) monozygotic twins and in 13 of 21 (61.9%) non-twin cases, which was significantly different compared with healthy controls who were positive in three of 52 (5.8%) cases (p < 0.0001). P-ANCA was found in two of 10 (20%) healthy twin siblings to twins with ulcerative colitis, which was not significantly different from healthy controls (p = 0.18). The results in Crohn's disease did not differ from healthy controls. Previous findings of P-ANCA occurring in ulcerative colitis but not in Crohn's disease are supported. This study does not support the hypothesis that P-ANCA is a subclinical marker of genetic susceptibility to ulcerative colitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Orebro Medical Center Hospital, Sweden.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Järnerot
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Danielsson
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tysk
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lindberg
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019268:Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D004200:Diseases in Twins; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D014430:Twins, Monozygotic
chemical_list: D019268:Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic; D001323:Autoantibodies