ANCA against bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein, azurocidin, calprotectin and defensins in rheumatic and infectious diseases: prevalence and clinical associations.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence and clinical associations of ANCA against the antibiotic proteins and peptides: Bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (BPI), Azurocidin (AZ), Calprotectin (CP) and beta-Defensin-1 and -2 (DF).


METHODS
Patients with ANCA-associated vasculitides (n = 99), other vasculitides and rheumatic connective tissue diseases (n = 303), HIV-infection (n = 66), other infectious diseases (n = 134) Crohn's disease (n = 12) and ulcerative colitis (n = 12) were tested for BPI-, AZ-, CP-, DF-, PR3-, and MPO-ANCA in indirect immunofluorescence technique (IFT) and ELISA.


RESULTS
In ANCA associated vasculitides BPI-ANCA were detected in 6% of patients. In HIV infection, BPI was the main target antigen of ANCA-IFT positive sera (74%). BPI-ANCA was associated with higher inflammatory activity. In Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis BPI-ANCA was prominent (34% of patients). AZ-ANCA were found in 5% of patients. No ANCA were detected against defensin and calprotectin.


CONCLUSIONS
BPI-ANCA is the main autoantibody in HIV and is associated with higher inflammatory activity. In inflammatory bowel diseases BPI-ANCA is predominant, AZ-ANCA are also present to a lesser extend. Both were not useful characterize clinical subgroups. No ANCA were detected against calprotectin or defensins.
Schultz
H
H
Department of Rheumatology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.
Csernok
E
E
Herlyn
K
K
Reichel
P H
PH
Moosig
F
F
Cornely
O A
OA
Fagerhol
M K
MK
Gross
W L
WL
D000328:Adult; D019268:Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic / Q000276:immunology*; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D015415:Biomarkers; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D023082:Defensins / Q000276:immunology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D039841:Leukocyte L1 Antigen Complex / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D008875:Middle Aged; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
C062991:AZU1 protein, human; D019268:Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D015415:Biomarkers; D001798:Blood Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D023082:Defensins; D039841:Leukocyte L1 Antigen Complex; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C021623:bactericidal permeability increasing protein