Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies in leprosy.
BACKGROUND
Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibodies (ANCA) are auto-antibodies directed to intracellular components of neutrophils and used to be considered as present almost exclusively in granulomatous vasculitis. Recently, these auto-antibodies have been found in other autoimmune disorders as well as infectious diseases.


METHODS
We studied patients with leprosy confirmed by bacilloscopy and/or skin biopsy, in reaction phase from the Ambulatório de Hanseníase do Hospital Universitário Professor Edgar Santos. ANCA and Antinuclear antibodies (ANA) were determined by indirect immunofluorescence using commercially available kits.


RESULTS
Twenty patients were enrolled in our study, nine males and 11 females. The mean age was 36.9+/-18.2 years. ANCA were present only in one patient, with a perinuclear staining pattern (p-ANCA), and no patient tested positive for ANA.


CONCLUSIONS
Although other studies have shown the presence of ANCA in leprosy, the low frequency of these antibodies in leprosy sera demonstrated in the present study illustrates the high specificity of ANCA for the diagnosis of Wegener granulomatosis.
Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
Fernando Luiz Barros
FL
Edington
Maria Olívia Amado Ramos
MO
Bacellar
Paulo Roberto
PR
Machado
Lúcio
L
Barbosa
Eliana
E
Reis
Mitermayer
M
Reis
Mittermayer Barreto
MB
Santiago
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019268:Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic / Q000097:blood*; D001706:Biopsy; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D006801:Humans; D007918:Leprosy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000166:cytology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D012867:Skin / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology
D019268:Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic