title: Uveitis and anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies.
abstract: Serum samples of 485 uveitis patients were screened for the presence of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies using a standardized immunofluorescence test (IIF) on neutrophil granulocytes. Seventeen of these sera contained cytoplasmic (C)-ANCA antibodies, while two of the sera contained perinuclear (P)-ANCA antibodies (both antinuclear antibody (ANA)-positive, one anti-myeloperoxidase (MPO)-positive). None of the C-ANCA-positive sera reacted with proteinase-3 in ELISA using a highly purified proteinase-3 preparation. Four C-ANCA and one P-ANCA-positive serum reacted with MPO. The majority of the sera did react with azurophilic granules in ELISA. The implication of these results is that in patients with uveitis a positive C-ANCA test is not diagnostic for Wegener's granulomatosis, but is most probably caused by the presence of autoantibodies against as yet unknown constituents of azurophilic granules.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, University Hospital Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Hagen
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: van de Vijver-Reenalda
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: de Keizer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kijlstra
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: van Es
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Daha
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: van der Woude
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019268:Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009195:Peroxidase / Q000276:immunology; D014605:Uveitis / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D019268:Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic; D001323:Autoantibodies; D009195:Peroxidase