A review of immunofluorescent patterns associated with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) and their differentiation from other antibodies

Abstract

Aim - To describe the neutrophil fluorescent patterns produced by antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) with different antigen specificities, and by other auto- and alloantibodies. Background - Most sera from patients with active generalised Wegener's granulomatosis result in diffusely granular cytoplasmic neutrophil fluorescence with internuclear accentuation (cANCA) and proteinase 3 (PR3) specificity. About 80% of the sera from patients with microscopic polyangiitis result in perinuclear neutrophil fluorescence with nuclear extension (pANCA) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) specificity, or a cANCA pattern with PR3 specificity. However, many different neutrophli fluorescence patterns are no..