Ulcerative Colitis/Colon Cancer: Immunologically Linked Disorders?

Students of inflammatory bowel disease have long appreciated that immunologic factors participate somehow in its pathogenesis. Broberger and Perlmann1 and Kraft and Kirsner2 gave early attention to this matter but did not resolve whether immunologic mechanisms were pathogenetic or represented secondary phenomena.The paper by Rule et al. in this issue of the Journal presents newer findings resulting from studies of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). They report approximately 30 per cent CEA positivity both in ulcerative colitis and in Crohn's disease, supporting findings previously reported in the Journal with use of the same plasma method.3 Using Gold's serum technic and reagents, . . .