title: Significance of anti-sacharomices cerevisiae antibodies (ASCA) in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases in Romania.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Anti-Sacharomyces cerevisiae antibodies (ASCA) represent the immunologic marker correlated with Crohn's disease because of their high specificity (80-95%). The aim of this study is to confirm their value in a Romanian population with IBD.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective longitudinal study was performed, which included patients admitted to Center of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Fundeni, Bucharest, in 2000 with ulcerative colitis (33 patients) - UC group, or Crohn's disease (40 patients) - CD group, and a control group (C) consisting of 22 healthy subjects. ASCA determination from serum samples was performed in the Erasmus University by ELISA technique.
  
  
  RESULTS
  ASCA+ prevalence in CD group was 5 in 40 patients (12.5%), in UC group 0/33 (0%), 1/21 C group (4.9%), p=0.05. ASCA+ phenotype was found only in patients with CD diagnosed before the age of 40 years (A1), p=0.04. Also, ASCA+ phenotype correlated significantly with the colonic (L2) or ileocolonic (L3) extension (p=0.05). ASCA+ status did not correlate with the evolutive pattern of CD (stricturing, penetrating or non- stricturing non-penetrating), and neither did the clinical severity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ASCA+ prevalence in CD patients is much lower compared with North-American or West-European studies (12.5% versus 40-70%). In Romanian patients, ASCA assessment may be helpful in achieving a diagnosis of Crohn's disease, especially in those younger than 40 years, or in those with colonic or ileocolonic extension.
authors.affiliation: Center of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Fundeni Clinical Institute, Str. Fundeni no. 258, 72437 Bucharest, Romania. preda.carmen@email.ro
authors.forename: Carmen Monica
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Preda
authors.forename: Mircea
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Diculescu
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mirea
authors.forename: Catalin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Marica
authors.forename: Severine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vermeire
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rutgeerts
authors.forename: Alexandru
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oproiu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000908:Antibodies, Fungal / Q000032:analysis*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010641:Phenotype; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012383:Romania; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
chemical_list: D000908:Antibodies, Fungal