[Clinical features of Wegener granulomatosis and microscopic polyangiitis in Chilean patients].
BACKGROUND
Systemic vasculitis are a group of heterogeneous diseases characterized by inflammation and necrosis of blood vessel walls. The etiology is not known, but geographic and environmental factors are implicated.


OBJECTIVE
To describe the clinical features of microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) and Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) in a Chilean cohort of patients.


METHODS
Retrospective review of the medical records of 123 patients with the diagnosis of systemic vasculitis (65 MPA and 58 WG), seen from 1990 to 2001. The diagnosis were made based on the American College of Rheumatology and Chapel Hill criteria.


RESULTS
The mean follow-up for MPA was 15 months (1-120) and for WG, 20 months (1-120). The median age (years) at diagnosis for MPA was 61 (19-82) and WG 50 (20-82). Gender distribution was similar in both groups (male: 68% and 57% respectively). The main clinical features in the MPA group were renal involvement (68%), peripheral nervous system involvement (57%), pulmonary hemorrhage (28%), and skin disease (32%). In the WG group were alveolar hemorrhage (62%), renal involvement (78%), paranasal sinus involvement (57%), and ocular disease (26%). In both, creatinine levels above 2.0 mg/dl were associated with a higher mortality (p< 0.01). ANCA by immunofluorescence was performed in 56 MPA patients (75% had pANCA, 4% had cANCA and 21% were ANCA negative) and in 55 WG patients (17% had pANCA, 79% had cANCA and 4% were ANCA negative). Global mortality was 18% and 17% respectively, and the most common causes of death were infections.


CONCLUSIONS
The clinical features of our patients are similar to other published data. In our WG and MPA patients the main predictor for death was a serum creatinine above 2 mg/dl.
Cisternas
Marcela
M
Departamento de Inmunología Clínica y Reumatología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile.
Soto
Lilian
L
Jacobelli
Sergio
S
Marinovic
María Angélica
MA
Vargas
Alex
A
Sobarzo
Elizabeth
E
Saavedra
Jorge
J
Chauan
Karina
K
Meléndez
Gabriela
G
Foster
Carolina
C
Pacheco
Daniel
D
Wainstein
Eduardo
E
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019268:Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic / Q000032:analysis; D002677:Chile; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D019085:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Direct; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D014890:Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010488:Polyarteritis Nodosa / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution
D019268:Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic; D003404:Creatinine