The ANCA-GBM ELISA screening test: A rapid test for the diagnosis of rapide progressive glomerulonephritides

Rapidly progressive glomerulonephritides (RPGN) are forms of necrotizing gl omerulonephritis associated with anti-glomerular basement membrane (anti-GB M) and anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) against the antigens p roteinase-3 (anti-PR3) and myeloperoxidase (anti-MPO). RPGN have a course o f rapid progression to renal failure. We compared the results from the semiquantitative ELISAs for anti-GMB antib odies, PR3-ANCA and MPO-ANCA and the indirect immunofluorescence technique (IIF) against a new rapid assay (30 minutes) for the same antibodies in pat ients with clinically suspected RPGN. The semiquantitative ELISAs for anti- GBM antibodies and PR3-ANCA and MPO-ANCA have a proven diagnostic significa nce in patients with RPGN I and III. There were no significant differences between the ANCA-GBM screening test and the results from the semiquantitati ve ELISAs (p>0.05). We did not find significant differences between the res ults for PR3-ANCA and MPO-ANCA from the ANCA-GBM screening test with C-ANCA and P-ANCA IIF values (p>0.05). We also corroborated that the ANCA-CBM scr eening test is a diagnostic tool for RPGN and III as useful as the semiquan titative ELISAs and the IFF technique. The ANCA-GBM ELISA screening test is a tool as useful as the semiquantitati ve ELISA against anti-GBM antibodies for diagnosis of RPGN I. The compariso n of the screening ELISA with the IIF technique and the semiquantitative EL ISAs against PR3-ANCA and MPO-ANCA showed similar utility for diagnosis of RPGN Ill. The advantages of the new screening assay are that three antibodi es are tested at the same time, yielding results in only 30 minutes.