Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody positivity and clinical implications in COVID-19.

To investigate clinical implications of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) positivity detected in COVID-19 patients during follow up. A retrospective survey in a hospital database was carried out to detect COVID-19 patients in which ANCAs had been tested. Clinical, laboratory and imaging data were collected from this hospital database and compared between ANCA-negative and -positive patients. ANCAs were tested in 87 COVID-19 patients. Eight had positivity in at least one ANCA test. COVID-19 symptoms on admission and rate of pulmonary involvement were similar. Acute phase reactant levels were higher in ANCA-positive patients. Rate of mortality was higher in the ANCA-positive group without statistical significance. ANCA positivity detected during COVID-19 in patients without a prior diagnosis of any rheumatic condition may be related with worse outcomes.