Development and standardization of solid phase assays for the detection of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA). A report on the second phase of an international cooperative study on the standardization of ANCA assays.

Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) are diagnostic markers for systemic vasculitis. They are classically detected by an indirect immunofluorescence test using normal donor neutrophils as substrate. This assay lacks antigenic specificity and is not quantitative.

Incidence and outcome of pauci-immune necrotizing and crescentic glomerulonephritis in adults.

During a seven-year period (1986-1992) 719 adults (age > 16 years) underwent diagnostic renal biopsy in Stockholm (adult population 1.2 million). Seventy-one (10%) new cases of pauci-immune necrotizing and crescentic glomerulonephritis (NCGN) with or without systemic vasculitis were found: 39 females and 32 males (median age 67, range 20-84 years).

The prevalence of antinuclear antibodies in healthy young persons and adults, comparing rat liver tissue sections with HEp-2 cells as antigen substrate.

The prevalence of antinuclear antibodies (ANA) was studied in 290 healthy adults, aged 20-88 years, and in 219 children, aged 1 month to 15 years. Two antigen substrates, rat liver tissue sections and HEp-2 cells, were compared at different serum dilutions. At titre 1/40, the number of positive adult samples was 6.

Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (cANCA and pANCA) titers in relation to disease activity in patients with necrotizing vasculitis: a longitudinal study.

The significance of the antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies, cANCA or pANCA, in relation to disease activity in various types of necrotizing vasculitis was assessed in a longitudinal study. Twenty patients, 14 cANCA positive and 6 pANCA positive were followed for up to seven years. Eleven of the 14 cANCA positive and two out of the 6 pANCA positive patients had Wegener's granulomatosis, two other cANCA patient and one pANCA patient had systemic vasculitis, whereas one cANCA and three pANCA positive patients had disease limited to the kidneys.