Serological markers in inflammatory bowel disease: a review of their clinical utility.

Background: Several antibodies, also called serological markers, are associated with specific forms, disease behavior and phenotype of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Aim: Summarize and analyze the evidence of the utility of serologic markers in IBD, making emphasis on their clinical utility and behavior between populations.

Material And Methods: Relevant articles were located by computer-assisted search of PubMed (since January 1979 until December 2008).