Identification of complement C3 as an autoantigen in inflammatory bowel disease.

Objective: Autoantibodies against goblet cells in the gastrointestinal mucosa have been described in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) but a corresponding autoantigen has not yet been identified. The aim of this study was to identify such an antigen.

Methods: First, 10 candidate autoantigens were discarded based on double stainings of appendiceal sections and a mucin-producing cell line (HT29-mtx).