G. Rojas et al., ANTINEUTROPHIL CYTOPLASMIC ANTIBODIES IN PATIENTS WITH IDIOPATHIC ULCERATIVE-COLITIS, Revista Medica de Chile, 124(4), 1996, pp. 449-455
We studied the presence of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies in 16
patients with idiopathic ulcerative colitis, using an indirect immuno
fluorescence technique and specific ELISA for myeloperoxidase and prot
einase 3. Twelve patients had an active disease and in ten, antineutro
phil cytoplasmic antibodies were positive, with a predominantly perinu
clear distribution and without specificity for myeliperoxidase or prot
einase 3. These antibodies were negative in the four patients with ina
ctive disease. It is concluded that antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibod
ies could be serologic indicators of disease activity in patients with
ulcerative colitis.