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Abstract
Background ANCA specificity, rather than clinical diagnosis, has been suggested to influence the phenotype and clinical course of ANCA associated vasculitis (AAV) (1,2).
Objectives To investigate differences in clinical presentation at disease onset between MPO-ANCA-positive granulomatosis with polyangiitis patients (MPO-GPA), PR3-ANCA-positive-GPA (PR3-GPA), and MPO-ANCA-positive microscopic polyangiitis (MPO-MPA).
Methods Clinical records of AAV patients from three third level rheumatologic centers in Northern Italy were retrospectively analyzed.
Results Of the 133 AAV patients included, 84 were PR3-GPA, 24 MPO-GPA, and 25 MPO-MPA. Patients with MPO-MPA were significantly older at diagnosis compared to both PR3-GPA and MPO-GPA (average age 63±10, 49±15, 55±29, respectively) (Table 1).
Patients with MPO-GPA experienced a significant diagnostic delay compared to PR3-GPA (17±30 vs 7±14, p=0.02). ENT involvement was equally frequent in both GPA groups despite ANCA specificity, and significantly more represented than the MPO-MPA group (68%, 71% and 17% respectively; p<0.001). Figure 1. Renal involvement was significantly more frequent in MPO-MPA patients (100%) compared to GPA (p<0.001), without differences between MPO-GPA (46%) and PR3-GPA (65%). Alveolar haemorrhage (DAH) was an onset manifestation mainly in MPO-MPA compared to the other two groups (24% vs 7% in PR3-GPA; p=0.02). Cutenous manifestations, mainly purpura, were significantly more reported in PR3-GPA compared to MPO-MPA (29% vs 4%; p=0.03).
Clinical characteristics of patients with GPA and MPA at disease onset according to ANCA specificity
Conclusions Clinical phenotype of GPA at disease onset did not seem to be influenced by ANCA specificity. Despite ANCA positivity (PR3 or MPO), GPA patients were significantly different from MPA.
References
Schirmer JH, Wright MN, Herrmann K, et al. Myeloperoxidase-Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody (ANCA)-Positive Granulomatosis With Polyangiitis (Wegener's) Is a Clinically Distinct Subset of ANCA-Associated Vasculitis: A Retrospective Analysis of 315 Patients From a German Vasculitis Referral Center. Arthritis Rheumatol Hoboken NJ 2016;68:2953–63.
Miloslavsky EM, Lu N, Unizony S, et al. Myeloperoxidase-Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody (ANCA)-Positive and ANCA-Negative Patients With Granulomatosis With Polyangiitis (Wegener's): Distinct Patient Subsets. Arthritis Rheumatol 2016;68:2945–2952.
References
Disclosure of Interest None declared