Forcione DG, Rosen MJ, Kisiel JB, Sands BE. Anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae antibody (ASCA) positivity is associated with increased risk for early surgery in Crohn's disease.
Gut 2004;
53:1117-22. [PMID:
15247177 PMCID:
PMC1774147 DOI:
10.1136/gut.2003.030734]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 01/15/2004] [Accepted: 01/17/2004] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae antibodies (ASCA) are a specific but only moderately sensitive diagnostic marker for Crohn's disease. We sought to explore the role of ASCA as a prognostic marker for aggressive disease phenotype in Crohn's disease.
AIMS
To determine the role of ASCA status as a risk factor for early surgery in Crohn's disease.
SUBJECTS
We performed a case control study in a cohort of patients, newly diagnosed with Crohn's disease, between 1991 and 1999. All patients were followed for at least three years. Case subjects (n = 35) included those who had major surgery for Crohn's disease within three years of diagnosis. Controls (n = 35) included patients matched to cases for age, sex, disease location, and smoking status, and who did not undergo major surgery for Crohn's disease within three years of diagnosis.
METHODS
Blinded assays were performed on serum for ASCA (immunoglobulin (Ig)A and IgG). A paired analysis of cases-controls was performed to test for the association between ASCA status and risk of early surgery.
RESULTS
ASCA IgA was strongly associated with early surgery (odds ratio (OR) 8.5 (95% confidence interval (CI) 2.0-75.9); p = 0.0013). ASCA IgG+ and ASCA IgG+/IgA+ patients were also at increased risk for early surgery (OR 5.5 (95% CI 1.2-51.1), p = 0.0265; and OR 5.0 (95% CI 1.1-46.9), p = 0.0433, respectively). The association between ASCA and early surgery was evident in patients requiring surgery for ileal or ileocolonic disease.
CONCLUSIONS
Patients with Crohn's disease who are positive for ASCA IgA, IgG, or both, may define a subset of patients with Crohn's disease at increased risk for early surgery.
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