Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Profile Blood Test

The IBD blood test is used to rule out Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

Description

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic disorder that affects about a million people in the United States. Periods of active disease may alternate with periods of remission. During a flare-up, a patient may experience frequent bouts of watery and/or bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain, weight loss, and fever. Between these flare-ups, symptoms frequently diminish. The cause of IBD is unknown, but these diseases are thought to be due to an autoimmune process that has been triggered by a genetic predisposition, a viral illness, and/or an environmental factor.

IBD Profile includes:

• Atypical perinuclear antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (pANCA); Saccharomyces cerevisiae, IgA; Saccharomyces cerevisiae, IgG

IgA and IgG antibody testing for S cerevisiae is useful adjunct testing for differentiating Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Nearly 80% of Crohn's disease patients are positive for either IgA or IgG. In ulcerative colitis, <15% are positive for IgG, and <2% are positive for IgA. Fewer than 5% of healthy controls are positive for either IgG or IgA antibodies, and no healthy controls had antibodies for both. The atypical ANCA pattern has been observed in a significant percentage of patients with ulcerative colitis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, and autoimmune hepatitis.