Anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae Antibodies (ASCA) Researched by Tube Precipitins are Elevated in Patients with Dermatologic and Gastrointestinal Non-Ige-Mediated Hypersensitivity

Abstract

Background: The presence of anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae antibodies (ASCA) has been reported in the serum of patients with several immune-inflammatory diseases. Objective: To evaluate the presence of ASCA in patients with non-IgE-mediated hypersensitivity. Methods: A group of 222 patients with non-IgE-mediated hypersensitivity was divided into three groups according to dermatologic, gastrointestinal, and respiratory symptoms. Group D was composed of 163 patients with dermatologic symptoms diagnosed as intrinsic atopic dermatitis and/or non-IgE-mediated urticaria. Group G was composed of 23 patients diagnosed with non-IgE-mediated gastrointestinal food allergies. Group R was composed of 36 patients with respiratory symptoms diagnosed as non-IgE-mediated rhinitis and/or non-IgE-mediated asthma. Results: The Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney U test comparing the precipitin’s titers of group G and group D showed a non-significant p-value of 0.83366. The Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney U test comparing the precipitin’s titers of group R and group G showed a significant p-value of 0.00034. The Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney U test comparing the precipitin’s titers of group R and group D showed a significant p-value < 0.0001. Conclusion: The patients with respiratory symptoms diagnosed as non-IgE-mediated rhinitis and/or asthma presented significantly less humoral immunoreactivity against S. cerevisiae than patients with non-IgE-mediated food allergy and patients with intrinsic atopic dermatitis and/or non-IgE-mediated urticaria. The elevation of ASCA titers may be an unspecific marker of intestinal hyperpermeability, and possibly may participate in Gell and Coomb’s types II and/or type III hypersensitivity reactions responsible for the patient’s dermatologic and gastrointestinal symptoms.