AUTOANTIBODIES SPECIFIC FOR VILLIN FOUND IN PATIENTS WITH COLON-CANCER AND OTHER COLITIDES

We have sought evidence for blood-borne autoantigens from the apical r egions of the intestinal epithelial cell that are associated with spec ific gastrointestinal diseases. While a wide range of brush border-spe cific proteins are antigenic in various disease states, significantly increased levels of autoantibody to villin, a 95-kDa protein microvill ar actin-binding protein, were identified by western blot in colon can cer patients' sera. Examination of a population with a range of coloni c diseases showed that anti-villin antibody is most prevalent in patie nts with colon cancer at significantly higher (P < 0.005) levels than normal controls. We conclude that cryptic antigens within the brush bo rder, specifically including villin, incite an active autoimmune respo nse. The pathological significance of these antibodies remains to be d etermined. These anti-villin antibodies also may provide a unique noni nvasive approach for the detection of gastrointestinal pathology.