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Ann Rheum Dis 2000;59:898-903 doi:10.1136/ard.59.11.898
  • Extended report

Characterisation of autoantibodies to neutrophil granule constituents among patients with reactive arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and ulcerative colitis

  1. Henning Lochta,
  2. Thomas Skoghb,
  3. Allan Wiika
  1. aDepartment of Autoimmunology, Statens Serum Institute, DK-2300 Copenhagen S, Denmark, bDepartment of Health and Environment, Division of Rheumatology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University, S-581 85 Linköping, Sweden
  1. Dr Henning Locht, Department of Autoimmunology, Building 81, Room 524, Statens Serum Institute, DK-2300 Copenhagen S, Denmark Email:hlo{at}ssi.dk
  • Accepted 10 April 2000

Abstract

OBJECTIVE To study the frequency and distribution of antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies (ANCA) among patients with reactive arthritis (ReA), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and ulcerative colitis (UC) using different immunological methods.

METHODS Fifty serum samples from patients with reactive arthritis (26 with acute disease and 24 with chronic disease—that is disease of more than one year) were analysed for ANCA with indirect immunofluorescence, enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with six different neutrophil granule proteins as antigens, and immunoblotting on whole neutrophil extract and extracts of azurophil and specific granules. Thirty serum samples from patients with RA and UC served as controls in ELISA and indirect immunofluorescence.

RESULTS Sixteen per cent of patients with ReA were positive in immunofluorescence compared with 30% of patients with RA, and 70% of patients with UC. Thirty two per cent of patients with ReA were positive in ELISA. Antibodies directed against lactoferrin occurred in 20%, antibodies against bactericidal permeability increasing protein (BPI), elastase, cathepsin G, myeloperoxidase, and proteinase 3 were found in 8%, 2%, 2%, 8%, and 6%, respectively. Overall, 50% of RA sera and 53% of UC sera were positive in one or more ELISA assays, the corresponding figures for antibodies against individual antigens were for RA 7%, 3%, 0%, 13%, 47%, 17% and for UC 13%, 20%, 0%, 23%, 10%, and 17%. In immunoblotting, bands corresponding to lactoferrin and BPI were recognised in 44% and 22% of ReA sera.

CONCLUSION Antibodies against neutrophil granule antigens are often found in patients with ReA, primarily among those with chronic disease. The different methods detect various subsets of antibodies, with immunoblotting being the most and immunofluorescence the least sensitive.

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