AECA and ANCA in patients with premature atherosclerosis.
Autoimmunity is suggested to play a pathogenetic role in premature atherosclerosis. Since atherosclerosis and vasculitis seem pathogenetically related, we hypothesized that ANCA, an important antibody in vasculitis, plays a role in atherosclerosis as well. We therefore investigated the prevalence of ANCA in patients with premature atherosclerosis and related the presence of these antibodies to levels of AECA and markers of inflammation.


RESULTS
In a cohort of 286 patients with premature atherosclerosis the prevalence of ANCA was 5.6% (16/286). All had perinuclear ANCA. More females were ANCA-positive (8M/8F vs. 200M/70F, p = 0.03). In a nested case-control study, comparing the 16 ANCA-positive patients with 32 controls, levels of AECA were higher in the first (7.32 +/- 0.91U vs. 5.52 +/- 0.41U, p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
ANCA does not seem to play a major role in premature atherosclerosis. Whether elevated levels of AECA in ANCA-positive patients with premature atherosclerosis reflect more extended vascular disease remains to be determined.
Departments of Cardiology, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and Internal Medicine, University Hospital Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
P L
PL
van Haelst
A C Muller
AC
Kobold
J J
JJ
van Doormaal
J W Cohen
JW
Tervaert
D000328:Adult; D019268:Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic / Q000097:blood*; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000276:immunology*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D019268:Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic; D001323:Autoantibodies; C087589:anti-endothelial cell antibody; D002097:C-Reactive Protein