Inflammatory bowel disease and ankylosing spondylitis associated with cutaneous vasculitis, glomerulonephritis, and circulating IgA immune complexes.

Two patients both with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) developed leucocytoclastic vasculitis of the skin and nephropathy. Immunofluorescence studies showed that there was perivascular deposition of immunoglobulin A in the skin biopsy specimens of both patients and in the renal mesangium of one patient. Serum samples of the two patients contained IgA immune complexes. The absence of previous reports on such a combination of symptoms in IBD or AS suggests that these patients may have a disease entity which is distinct from uncomplicated IBD or AS, and which may combine the immunopathological features of both underlying disorders.