Sabin-Feldman dye test in ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease

The prevalence of Toxoplasma infection among patients with inflammatory bowel disease was studied. The Sabin-Feldman dye test was performed on 35 patients with Crohn's disease, 44 patients with ulcerative colitis, and 140 control patients. A higher incidence of positive reactions was found in Crohn's disease patients over the age of 40 (P less than 0.05). All other factors showed no significant differences among the three groups of patients. These factors include age younger than 40 years, sex, duration of disease, extent of disease, and type of treatment. It is concluded that there is no correlation between inflammatory bowel diseases and toxoplasmosis. Toxoplasma infection, however, should be considered in patients with Crohn's disease who are over 40 years old, and who present with nonspecific signs of intercurrent infection.