title: Circulating granulocyte antibodies in first attacks of colitis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) have recently been demonstrated in the sera of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
  
  
  METHODS
  The presence of ANCA was studied in 107 sera obtained during 1 year from 48 patients with a first attack of IBD and in 33 such sera from 19 patients with infectious or infectious-type colitis (non-relapsing colitis (NRC)).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 65% (31 of 48) of the IBD patients positive immunofluorescence reactivity against granulocytes was observed, compared with in 5% of the NRC patients. No significant difference in granulocyte reactivity was found either between patients with colonic Crohn's disease and those with ulcerative colitis or between active and inactive phases of the disease. Most of the sera showed a perinuclear immunofluorescence staining pattern (68%), in contrast to the classical cytoplasmic staining pattern seen in Wegener's granulomatosis. In sera obtained at the first visit from the 31 IBD patients with positive granulocyte reactivity a hitherto unknown antibody against beta-glucuronidase was found in 42%, whereas in 45% the specificity was not identified. Other antibodies, rarely seen, were directed against myeloperoxidase, lactoferrin, elastase, and cathepsin G. No antibody directed against lysozyme was detected.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Positive granulocyte reactivity practically excluded NRC and was seen in more than half of IBD patients. Antibodies against beta-glucuronidase were common, but still almost half of the antibodies remained unknown.
authors.affiliation: Dept of Internal Medicine, Danderyd Hospital, Sweden.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schumacher
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kollberg
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sandstedt
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ljungh
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nässberger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019268:Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D003092:Colitis / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005966:Glucuronidase / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D012008:Recurrence
chemical_list: D019268:Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic; D001323:Autoantibodies; D015415:Biomarkers; D005966:Glucuronidase