Possible role of Mycobacteria in inflammatory bowel disease (original) (raw)

Abstract

An unclassified_Mycobacterium_ species has been isolated from two patients with Crohn's disease (CD). Antibodies to the unclassified mycobacteria cross-reacted with_Mycobacterium paratuberculosis_. Because of this cross-reactivity, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to examine the sera of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients, both CD (N_=56), and ulcerative colitis (UC) (N_=34), for antibodies to_M. paratuberculosis, Mycobacterium kansasii, and_Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Controls consisted of healthy, PPD-negative individuals (_N_=67), and from PPD-positive patients (_N_=41). Eighteen resected CD patients were also examined. CD patients had a statistically significant increase in antibody titer (P_=0.0003) to_M. paratuberculosis compared to healthy controls. Although patients with positive PPD had elevated titers to this organism, the positive response of CD patients was not related to PPD responsiveness, area of involvement in the gut, nor to activity of the disease process.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Rhode Island Hospital and Brown University, 593 Eddy St., Room 421, 02902, Providence, Rhode Island
    Walter R. Thayer Jr MD, Jessica A. Coutu BA, Rodrick J. Chiodini PhD, Herbert J. Van Kruiningen DVM, PhD & Richard S. Merkal PhD
  2. the Department of Pathobiology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
    Walter R. Thayer Jr MD, Jessica A. Coutu BA, Rodrick J. Chiodini PhD, Herbert J. Van Kruiningen DVM, PhD & Richard S. Merkal PhD
  3. the Mycobacteriosis Research Unit, National Animal Disease Center, Ames, Iowa
    Walter R. Thayer Jr MD, Jessica A. Coutu BA, Rodrick J. Chiodini PhD, Herbert J. Van Kruiningen DVM, PhD & Richard S. Merkal PhD

Authors

  1. Walter R. Thayer Jr MD
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  2. Jessica A. Coutu BA
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  3. Rodrick J. Chiodini PhD
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  4. Herbert J. Van Kruiningen DVM, PhD
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  5. Richard S. Merkal PhD
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Supported in part by a grant from the National Foundation for Ileitis and Colitis, Inc.

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Thayer, W.R., Coutu, J.A., Chiodini, R.J. et al. Possible role of Mycobacteria in inflammatory bowel disease.Digest Dis Sci 29, 1080–1085 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01317079

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