The prevalence of serum antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies in preeclampsia and eclampsia.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies (ANCAs) in preeclampsia and eclampsia.


METHODS
Blood samples were obtained from 26 mildly preeclamptic, 26 severely preeclamptic, and 20 eclamptic, and 20 normal pregnant women (controls) in the late third trimester for the determination of serum cytoplasmic pattern ANCA (cANCA) and perinuclear pattern ANCA (pANCA) by the corresponding enzyme immunoassay.


RESULTS
Significant elevations of serum cANCA and pANCA were found in mild and severe preeclampsia and eclampsia. The extent of rise correlated well with the severity of the disease. Both ANCAs were detected in 80% of eclamptic cases versus 38.5 and 69.3% of mild and severe preeclampsia, respectively. Marked elevations of serum ANCAs were associated with poor fetal outcome.


CONCLUSIONS
ANCAs may be involved in the pathogenesis of glomerulonephritis in preeclampsia and eclampsia and their presence may be attributed to an autoimmune mechanism initiated by autoantibody-mediated activation of neutrophils.
Shaarawy
M
M
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Egypt.
Youssef el-Mallah
S
S
el-Yamani
A M
AM
D000328:Adult; D019268:Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic / Q000097:blood*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000276:immunology; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000276:immunology; D004461:Eclampsia / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005921:Glomerulonephritis / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000276:immunology*; D011247:Pregnancy
D019268:Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic