Anti-colon antibodies in ulcerative colitis. A clinical study.

145 consecutively admitted patients with ulcerative colitis were clinically classified. A female:male ratio of 1.46:1 was found. Clinical symptoms and signs presumed to indicate hypersensitivity were present in 30% (95% confidence limits 23-39%). Circulating anti-colon antibodies were found in 20% (95% confidence limits 14-28%) with a female preponderance of 2.63:1. None of the following factors were significantly correlated to the presence of anti-colon antibodies: the age or sex of the patients, the degree of colonic involvement, duration of disease, age of onset, family history of disease, or manifestations of hypersensitivity associated with ulcerative colitis.20