Anti-Anisakis antibodies in the clinical course of Crohn's disease

Background: Human anisakidosis is a parasitic disease whose intestinal form shares several characterictics with Crohn's disease (CD), like the ileocol onic location predominantly and the presence of granuloma. Methods: 73 CD p atients diagnosed according to Lennard-Jones' criteria were studied. The di sease activity was measured by means of Harvey-Bradshaw Index. Different cl inical variables were analyzed. Antigenic extract of Anisakis simplex larva e extracted from blue whiting was prepared. Determination of IgG, IgM, IgA and total specific immunoglobulin against A. simplex were carried out in se ra by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Immunorecognition patterns of thes e sera were realized by immunoblotting analysis. Results were compared with prevalence of antibodies anti-Anisakis in 251 healthy controls. Results: 2 9% of CD patients showed detectable specific total Ig (G+M+A) against A. si mplex(95% CI, 19-41). For IgG, IgM and IgA the percentages were 44, 18 and 53% (95% CI, 32-56, 10-26, and 41-65) respectively. In positive specific to tal Ig cases CD was localized mainly in ileum. In IgG-, IgM- and IgA-positi ve cases the location was predominantly ileocolonic. CD activity index was higher for groups with positive IgA (2.86 vs. 5.55; p < 0.05), Conclusion: Patients with CD have high prevalence of specific immunoglobulin against A. simplex. Specific IgA are associated to higher activity index of CD.