PREVALENCE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF ANTICARDIOLIPIN ANTIBODIES IN CROHNS-DISEASE

Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel syndrome in which thro mbotic complications occur in the active phase. Phospholipid-binding a ntibodies such as anticardiolipin antibodies and lupus anticoagulants have been shown to be associated with thrombosis. Their presence has b een assessed in a group of 50 patients with Crohn's disease among whom 44 had active disease. The overall prevalence of anticardiolipin anti bodies was about 22%, while none of these patients had lupus anticoagu lant. Anticardiolipin antibodies have been observed in both active and quiescent CD and their presence does not seem to be related to the si te of CD lesions. The presence of phospholipid-binding antibodies coul d be a sign of vascular alterations that are potentially thrombogenic per se, and their predictive value with respect to the specific inflam matory syndrome of Crohn's disease is discussed.