Seroprevalence and disease association of antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies and antigens in HIV infection

This prospective study was designed to determine the role of antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies (ANCA) in HIV-infected patients, Immunofluoresc ence tests (IFT) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) were applie d to sera of 199 consecutive outpatients, In the IFT 20% were positive. An atypical ANCA pattern,vas demonstrated in 67% of these, 33% revealed a peri nuclear staining (pANCA), Specific ELISA revealed proteinase 3 (n = 2), mye loperoxidase (n = 1), lysozyme (n = 2), lactoferrin (n = 1), cathepsin G (n = 1), and human leukocyte elastase (HLE, n = 6). The target antigen remain ed unidentified in 26 patients. Perinuclear ANCA-positive patients showed a typical antigens in eight of 13 cases; all six patients with anti-HLE revea led a pANCA pattern. The antigens of atypical ANCA-positive patients remain ed unidentified in 21 of 26 (81%) cases. No signs of vasculitis were presen t in the ANCA-positive patients. ANCA are frequently found in the sera of H IV-positive patients. They bind to a variety of antigens. No correlation wa s found between ANCA positivity and autoimmune or opportunistic diseases.