Brief Article
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World J Gastroenterol. Oct 7, 2013; 19(37): 6207-6213
Published online Oct 7, 2013. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v19.i37.6207
Inflammatory bowel disease serology in Asia and the West
Lani Prideaux, Michael A Kamm, Peter De Cruz, Daniel R van Langenberg, Siew C Ng, Iris Dotan
Lani Prideaux, Michael A Kamm, Peter De Cruz, Department of Gastroenterology, St Vincent’s Hospital, Fitzroy 3065, Melbourne, Australia
Lani Prideaux, Michael A Kamm, Peter De Cruz, Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3053, Melbourne, Australia
Michael A Kamm, Department of Medicine, Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
Daniel R van Langenberg, Department of Gastroenterology, Box Hill Hospital, Box Hill 3128, Melbourne, Australia
Siew C Ng, Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Iris Dotan, Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center, Department of Gastroenterology, Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv 64239, Israel
Author contributions: Prideaux L and Kamm MA designed the research, performed the analysis and wrote the paper; Ng SC, De Cruz P and van Langenberg DR collected samples and critically appraised the manuscript; Dotan I processed the samples and critically appraised the manuscript.
Supported by The Broad Foundation (MAK)
Correspondence to: Michael A Kamm, MD, PhD, FRACP, Professor, Department of Gastroenterology, St Vincent’s Hospital, Victoria Parade, Fitzroy 3065, Melbourne, Australia. mkamm@unimelb.edu.au
Telephone: + 61-3-94175064 Fax: +61-3-9416 2485
Received: May 8, 2013
Revised: July 23, 2013
Accepted: August 17, 2013
Published online: October 7, 2013
Processing time: 163 Days and 8.2 Hours
Abstract

AIM: To study serological antibodies in Caucasians and Asians, in health and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), in Australia and Hong Kong (HK).

METHODS: Anti-glycan antibodies [anti-chitobioside (ACCA), anti-laminaribioside (ALCA)], and anti-mannobioside (AMCA), anti-Saccharomyces cervisiae (gASCA); and atypical perinuclear anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (pANCA) were tested in IBD patients, their unaffected relatives, and healthy controls in Australia and HK (China). Antibody status (positive or negative) and titre was compared between subjects of different geography, ethnicity and disease state.

RESULTS: Ninety subjects were evaluated: 21 Crohn’s disease (CD), 32 ulcerative colitis (UC), 29 healthy controls, and 8 IBD patient relatives. Forty eight subjects were Australian (29 Caucasian and 19 ethnic Han Chinese) and 42 were from HK (all Han Chinese). Caucasian CD patients had a significantly higher antibody prevalence of gASCA (67% vs 3%, P < 0.001), ALCA (44% vs 6%, P = 0.005), and AMCA (67% vs 15%, P = 0.002), whereas HK CD patients had a higher prevalence of only AMCA (58% vs 25%, P = 0.035), when compared with UC and healthy subjects in both countries. Caucasian CD had significantly higher gASCA prevalence (67% vs 0%, P < 0.001) and titre (median 59 vs 9, P = 0.002) than HK CD patients. Prevalence and titres of ALCA, ACCA and AMCA did not differ between CD in the two countries. Presence of at least one antibody was higher in Caucasian than HK CD patients (100% vs 58%, P = 0.045). pANCA did not differ between countries or ethnicity.

CONCLUSION: Serologic CD responses differ between HK Asian and Australian Caucasian patients. Different genetic, environmental or disease pathogenic factors may account for these differences.

Keywords: Crohn’s disease; Ulcerative colitis; Serological antibodies; Asia; Ethnic; Anti-Saccharomyces cervisiae antibodies; Anti-chitobioside antibodies; Anti-laminaribioside antibodies; Anti-mannobioside antibodies; Atypical perinuclear anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies

Core tip: Serological antibodies to enteric antigens are a hallmark of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and may carry pathogenic and prognostic significance. There is limited information about their role and prevalence in Asian patients. We evaluated anti-glycan antibodies (anti-chitobioside, anti-laminaribioside, and anti-mannobioside), anti-Saccharomyces cervisiae; and atypical perinuclear anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody in IBD patients, their unaffected relatives, and healthy controls in Australia and Hong Kong (China). Serologic responses were found to differ between Asian and Caucasian patients. Different genetic, environmental or disease pathogenic factors may account for these differences.