Clinical characteristics of myeloperoxidase antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis caused by antithyroid drugs.

Context: The clinical characteristics of myeloperoxidase antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (MPO-ANCA)-associated vasculitis caused by antithyroid drugs are still unclear because most reports describe only a small number of patients.

Objective: The objective was to analyze a large number of patients with MPO-ANCA-associated vasculitis to determine the time of onset, the drug and dose taken, the clinical symptoms, the relationship between the clinical symptoms and the MPO-ANCA titer, and the incidence.

Design: We analyzed 92 patients in whom the adverse reaction of MPO-ANCA-associated vasculitis was reported to Chugai Pharmaceutical, a company that markets antithyroid drugs.

Evaluation of a new rapid and fully automated electrochemiluminescence immunoassay for thyrotropin receptor autoantibodies.

Background: Hyperthyroidism in Graves' disease is caused by autoantibodies to the TSH receptor (TSHR), and measurement of the TSHR autoantibody (TRAb) yields important information to diagnose and decide on the course of treatment of Graves' disease. We evaluated basic and clinical performance of a new, rapid, and fully automated electrochemiluminescence immunoassay Elecsys Anti-TSHR (Elecsys TRAb) for measuring serum TRAb.

Methods: For evaluation of basic performance of the assay, we carried out intra- and interassay precision studies using five serum pools and three serum pools, respectively, and the assay was compared with four commercial TRAb assays.