Fc-receptor mediates clearance of immune complex-like material in Crohn's disease patients with elevated liver enzymes

Abstract

The reticuloendothelial system of patients with ulcerative colitis and associated liver disease is impaired in its ability to clear immune complex-like material from the systemic circulation. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether patients with Crohn's disease and associated liver enzyme abnormalities manifest the same reticuloendothelial system clearance defect. Autologous red cells were radiolabelled with ⁵¹Cr and sensitized with anti-Rh(D) immunoglobulin G in vitro. After intravenous infusion of the labelled antibody-coated red cells, the radioactivity content of timed blood specimens was measured. The time required by the reticuloendmhclial system to clear one-half the labelled cells from the circulation (T1/2) was then determined. The T1/2 clearance times in nine Crohn's disease patients with elevated scrum liver enzyme levels (59.7+6.4 mins, mean + SEM) was similar to that of nine Crohn's disease patients with normal liver enzyme levels (50.7+4.6 mins), 12 chronic liver disease control patients (63.4+6.3 mins) and 12 healthy volunteers (49.1+3.1 mins) (P>0.05). The results of this study indicate that the reticuloendothelial system clearance defect described in patients with ulcerative colitis and associated liver disease is not present in patients with Crohn's disease and associated mild liver enzyme abnormalities.