title: Auto-antibodies and their association with clinical findings in women diagnosed with microscopic colitis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Microscopic colitis (MC) is a disease manifested by diarrhoea and is divided into collagenous and lymphocytic colitis. The aetiology is unknown, but auto-immunity is suggested. Auto-antibodies have been only rarely examined in this entity. The aim of the study was to examine the prevalence of auto-antibodies, and to examine associations between the presence of antibodies and clinical findings.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Women with MC verified by biopsy and younger than 73 years, at any Department of Gastroenterology, in the district of Skåne, between 2002 and 2010 were invited to participate in this study. The patients were asked to complete both a questionnaire describing their medical history and the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS). Blood samples were collected. Anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA), anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA), anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae antibodies (ASCA), and antibodies against glutamic acid decarboxylase (anti-GAD), islet antigens-like insulin 2 (anti-IA2), thyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO), and thyrotropin receptor (TRAK) were analysed. Of 240 women identified, 133 were finally included in the study, median age 63 (59-67) years. Apart from the MC diagnosis, 52% also suffered from irritable bowel syndrome, 31% from hypertension and 31% from allergy. The prevalence of ANA (14%), ASCA IgG (13%), and anti-TPO antibodies (14%) for these patients was slightly higher than for the general population, and were found together with other concomitant diseases. Patients had more of all gastrointestinal symptoms compared with norm values, irrespective of antibody expression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Women with MC have a slightly increased prevalence of some auto-antibodies. These antibodies are not associated with symptoms, but are expressed in patients with concomitant diseases, obscuring the pathophysiology and clinical picture of MC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, Department of Gastroenterology, Skåne University Hospital, Malmö, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: Bodil
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Roth
authors.forename: Rita J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Gustafsson
authors.forename: Bodil
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ohlsson
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D019268:Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic / Q000276:immunology; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000276:immunology; D000908:Antibodies, Fungal / Q000276:immunology; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D046728:Colitis, Microscopic / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007453:Iodide Peroxidase / Q000276:immunology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011989:Receptors, Thyrotropin / Q000276:immunology; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D019268:Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D000908:Antibodies, Fungal; D001323:Autoantibodies; D011989:Receptors, Thyrotropin; D007453:Iodide Peroxidase