Vasculitis
Anti-Neutrophil
Cytoplasmic (ANCA) antibodies
The
presence of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic
antibodies (ANCA) in patients with vasculitis
was first observed in 1982 by Davies.
ANCA are a group of autoantibodies directed
against proteins in the granules of
neutrophils and in the peroxidase-positive
lysosomes of peripheral blood monocytes.
These antibodies can be detected by indirect
immunofluorescence techniques on ethanol-
or formalin-fixed neutrophils or by
BlueDot.
Primarily
two types of ANCA staining reactions
are observed by IFA, cytoplasmic (c.ANCA)
and perinuclear (p.ANCA).
c.ANCA
are directed against proteins like Proteinase
3 (PR3). PR3 is the major antigen with
a 29kD molecular weight and is a neutral
serine proteinase localised in the azurophilic
granules of neutrophils. Antibodies
against the PR3 antigen are a marker
for Wegener’s Granulomatosis (WG).
p.ANCA
are primarily directed against Myeloperoxidase
(MPO) proteins with a 59kD molecular
weight. They constitute a potent microbiocidal
system with the neutrophil granulocytes.
Anti-MPO antibodies occur in vasculitis,
glomerulonephritis, Churg-Strauss syndrome,
polyarteritis nodosa, systemic lupus
erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis.
Both
IFA and BlueDot
products
are available, please select the option
that best suits your laboratory.
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