Increased levels of anti-glycan antibodies in patients with cystic fibrosis

• Published in: European journal of medical research Vol. 16; no. 9; p. 385
• Main Authors: Hirche, T O, Stein, J, Hirche, H, Hausmann, J, Wagner, T O, Behrens, F, Schröder, Oliver
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 12.09.2011; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Adult; anti-glycan antibodies; ASCA; Autoantibodies - blood; Biomarkers - blood; Case-Control Studies; Child; crohn's disease; cystic fibrosis; Cystic Fibrosis - immunology; Disease Progression; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Polysaccharides - immunology; Prospective Studies; Saccharomyces cerevisiae - immunology; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0949-2321; 2047-783X; 2047-783X
• DOI: 10.1186/2047-783x-16-9-385

The prevalence of Crohn's disease (CD) is increased in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae antibodies (ASCA) have been suggested as a screening tool to detect CD in CF. Recently, several new anti-glycan antibodies have been reported in CD. - The sera of 119 CF patients of various age groups were prospectively screened for ASCA type IgG (gASCA), anti-laminaribioside carbohydrate IgG antibodies (ALCA), anti-chitobioside carbohydrate IgA antibodies (ACCA), and anti-mannobioside carbohydrate IgG antibodies (AMCA). The frequency of these anti-glycan antibodies was then compared in patients with CD, ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis and healthy volunteers. - A significant number of CF patients were positive for gASCA (51.3% (41.6-60.6)) and up to three other anti-glycan antibodies concurrently. Serum levels of anti-glycan antibodies in CF and CD were not related to parameters of inflammation. Despite the well-documented difference in clinical course between male and female CF patients no gender difference of anti-glycan antibodies was found. In contrast, there was a significant positive correlation between anti-glycan markers and age in CF patients. - Our findings demonstrate for the first time the increased frequency of a panel of anti-glycan antibodies in CF and provide a link between the presence of these serological biomarkers and patient's age. Anti-glycan antibody profiling may therefore become a valuable tool in the care of patients with CF.