[Serum immunoglobulin levels in ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease (author's transl)]

The immunoglobulins G, A and M were determined quantitatively by radial immunodiffusion in 50 patients with ulcerative colitis and 41 with Crohn's disease. 50 clinically healthy probands formed the control group. There was no correlation with duration, severity, and localisation of the disease, or with the treatment used. IgA was significantly lower in ulcerative colitis as compared with the control group. The most marked changes of immunoglobulin levels observed were in Crohn's disease: whereas IgA was increased by 37%, IgM was decreased by the same percentage. A typical immunogram in Crohn's disease is a valuable differential diagnostic feature as compared with ulcerative colitis.