title: Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies in scleroderma patients: first report of a case with anti-proteinase 3 antibodies and review of the literature.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the incidence, the subspecificities and the clinical correlation of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies in scleroderma patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-two patients affected by scleroderma in limited or diffuse pattern have been screened for the presence of anti-proteinase 3 and anti-myeloperoxidase antibodies by ELISA method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two patients affected by diffuse systemic sclerosis were found to be antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-positive. One patient presented a weak positivity for anti-myeloperoxidase antibodies in the absence of renal impairment. One patient which clinical course is characterised by rapidly progressive skin and lung involvement presented a high positivity for anti-proteinase 3 antibody.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study confirms the low incidence of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies in scleroderma patients (3.2%); we reportthe first case of isolated scleroderma with positivity of anti-proteinase 3 antibodies.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Sperimentale, Policlinico G.B. Rossi, Verona, Italy. caramaschi@cmib.univr.it
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Caramaschi
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Biasi
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tonolli
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carletto
authors.forename: Lisa Maria
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Bambara
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019268:Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic / Q000276:immunology*; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D053146:Myeloblastin; D009195:Peroxidase / Q000276:immunology; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000276:immunology*; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D019268:Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic; D001324:Autoantigens; D009195:Peroxidase; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; D053146:Myeloblastin