Carcinoembryonic antigen and alpha 1-fetoprotein in ulcerative colitis and regional enteritis.

Sera were collected from 108 patients with inflammatory bowel disease and assayed for carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and alpha(1)-fetoprotein (AFP). Seven (14%) of 51 patients with ulcerative colitis had a positive test for CEA and one of these had associated carcinoma of the colon. Ten (19%) of 52 patients with regional enteritis were also seropositive. The sera of 4 (9%) of 47 patients with ulcerative colitis and 2 (5%) of 41 patients with regional enteritis contained small amounts of AFP. Of two unclassified patients one had a positive CEA and the other a positive AFP. No serum was positive for both CEA and AFP. In addition, multiple samples were available for sequential analysis in eight CEA-positive patients but there was no apparent relationship between seropositivity and disease activity. Continued follow-up is now in progress to determine the significance of detectable fetal antigen levels in inflammatory bowel disease.