Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody correlates with chronic pouchitis after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis.

Abstract

The finding that perinuclear antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies occur more frequently in patients with chronic pouchitis raises the possibility that this antibody may mark a genetically distinct subset of ulcerative colitis patients. Further studies are needed to determine whether the presence of this antibody before ileal pouch-anal anastomosis is predictive for later development of chronic pouchitis.