Anticorps anticytoplasme des polynucléaires neutrophiles (ANCA) dans les maladies inflammatoires du tube digestif

Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies have recently been demonstrated in sera of patients with inflammatory bowel disease. We are reporting here our experience among 94 patients with Crohn's disease and 25 with ulcerative colitis. The indirect immunofluorescence assay with alcohol fixed neutrophils has been used. The presence of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies was significantly associated to the ulcerative colitis 61% VS 17% (p < 0.001). The fluorescence had a perinuclear pattern among all but one suffering from ulcerative colitis. Among the patients suffering from ulcerative colitis there was no relationship between the presence of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies and the activity or the localisation of the disease. Among the 9 patients operated for their ulcerative colitis, 4 were ANCA positive and remained so after proctocolectomy. The existence of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies is useful for the diagnosis of some unclassifiable colitis. Their presence may be used as an argument in favour of some disturbances of the immunoregulation of the disease.