PURPOSE: To assess the value of serial determinations of antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies (ANCA) for monitoring disease activity in patients with systemic vasculitis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty-three patients with histologically proven vasculitis (21 with Wegener's granulomatosis, 17 with microscopic polyangiitis, and 5 with renal-limited vasculitis) were studied for a median follow-up of 22 months. Disease activity was prospectively assessed and quantified by the Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score. A total of 347 sera were analyzed for ANCA determination. RESULTS: Relapses occurred in 23 (54%) of 43 patients. Diagnostic category (Wegener's granulomatosis vs micropolyangiitis and renal-limited vasculitis), severity of initial symptoms (mean vasculitis activity score, mean number of organs involved), and ANCA pattern [cytoplasmic-ANCA (c-ANCA) vs perinuclear-ANCA (p-ANCA)] did not significantly differ between relapsers and nonrelapsers. Lung involvement was more frequent at onset among relapsers [16 of 23 (70%) vs 6 of 20 (30%); P = 0.02]. Relapses were slightly, but not significantly, more frequent in patients with Wegener's granulomatosis or a c-ANCA pattern. The percentage of relapsers was greater in patients with persistently positive ANCA than in patients with negative or decreasing ANCA titers (86% vs 20%, P = 0.0001). However, the predictive value of an increase in ANCA titers for the occurrence of a subsequent relapse was only 28% (4 of 14) for c-ANCA, 12% (2 of 17) for anti-proteinase 3-ANCA, and 43% (6 of 14) for anti-myeloperoxidase-ANCA. An increase in ANCA occurred before or during relapse in 33% (10 of 30) of cases for c-ANCA/anti-proteinase 3 antibodies, and 73% (11 of 15) of cases for anti-myeloperoxidase antibodies. CONCLUSION: The persistence of ANCA positivity is strongly associated with relapses. However, an increase in ANCA titers has a poor value for the early prediction of a subsequent relapse and should not be used as a sole parameter for therapeutic intervention. In addition, our results suggest that serial anti-myeloperoxidase determination may be useful as a prognostic marker in patients who are p-ANCA positive.
PURPOSE: To assess the value of serial determinations of antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies (ANCA) for monitoring disease activity in patients with systemic vasculitis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty-three patients with histologically proven vasculitis (21 with Wegener's granulomatosis, 17 with microscopic polyangiitis, and 5 with renal-limited vasculitis) were studied for a median follow-up of 22 months. Disease activity was prospectively assessed and quantified by the Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score. A total of 347 sera were analyzed for ANCA determination. RESULTS: Relapses occurred in 23 (54%) of 43 patients. Diagnostic category (Wegener's granulomatosis vs micropolyangiitis and renal-limited vasculitis), severity of initial symptoms (mean vasculitis activity score, mean number of organs involved), and ANCA pattern [cytoplasmic-ANCA (c-ANCA) vs perinuclear-ANCA (p-ANCA)] did not significantly differ between relapsers and nonrelapsers. Lung involvement was more frequent at onset among relapsers [16 of 23 (70%) vs 6 of 20 (30%); P = 0.02]. Relapses were slightly, but not significantly, more frequent in patients with Wegener's granulomatosis or a c-ANCA pattern. The percentage of relapsers was greater in patients with persistently positive ANCA than in patients with negative or decreasing ANCA titers (86% vs 20%, P = 0.0001). However, the predictive value of an increase in ANCA titers for the occurrence of a subsequent relapse was only 28% (4 of 14) for c-ANCA, 12% (2 of 17) for anti-proteinase 3-ANCA, and 43% (6 of 14) for anti-myeloperoxidase-ANCA. An increase in ANCA occurred before or during relapse in 33% (10 of 30) of cases for c-ANCA/anti-proteinase 3 antibodies, and 73% (11 of 15) of cases for anti-myeloperoxidase antibodies. CONCLUSION: The persistence of ANCA positivity is strongly associated with relapses. However, an increase in ANCA titers has a poor value for the early prediction of a subsequent relapse and should not be used as a sole parameter for therapeutic intervention. In addition, our results suggest that serial anti-myeloperoxidase determination may be useful as a prognostic marker in patients who are p-ANCA positive.
Authors: Gunnar Tomasson; Peter C Grayson; Alfred D Mahr; Michael Lavalley; Peter A Merkel Journal: Rheumatology (Oxford) Date: 2011-10-29 Impact factor: 7.580
Authors: Paul A Monach; Gunnar Tomasson; Ulrich Specks; John H Stone; David Cuthbertson; Jeffrey Krischer; Linna Ding; Fernando C Fervenza; Barri J Fessler; Gary S Hoffman; David Ikle; Cees G M Kallenberg; Carol A Langford; Mark Mueller; Philip Seo; E William St Clair; Robert Spiera; Nadia Tchao; Steven R Ytterberg; Yi-Zhong Gu; Ronald D Snyder; Peter A Merkel Journal: Arthritis Rheum Date: 2011-12
Authors: Paul A Monach; Roscoe L Warner; Gunnar Tomasson; Ulrich Specks; John H Stone; Linna Ding; Fernando C Fervenza; Barri J Fessler; Gary S Hoffman; David Iklé; Cees G M Kallenberg; Jeffrey Krischer; Carol A Langford; Mark Mueller; Philip Seo; E William St Clair; Robert Spiera; Nadia Tchao; Steven R Ytterberg; Kent J Johnson; Peter A Merkel Journal: Ann Rheum Dis Date: 2012-09-12 Impact factor: 19.103
Authors: Sophia Lionaki; Elizabeth R Blyth; Susan L Hogan; Yichun Hu; Brent A Senior; Caroline E Jennette; Patrick H Nachman; J Charles Jennette; Ronald J Falk Journal: Arthritis Rheum Date: 2012-10
Authors: Lynn A Fussner; Amber M Hummel; Darrell R Schroeder; Francisco Silva; Rodrigo Cartin-Ceba; Melissa R Snyder; Gary S Hoffman; Cees G M Kallenberg; Carol A Langford; Peter A Merkel; Paul A Monach; Philip Seo; Robert F Spiera; E William St Clair; Nadia K Tchao; John H Stone; Ulrich Specks Journal: Arthritis Rheumatol Date: 2016-07 Impact factor: 10.995