O. Arranz et al., The ANCA-GBM ELISA screening test: A rapid test for the diagnosis of rapide progressive glomerulonephritides, NEFROLOGIA, 21(4), 2001, pp. 349-354
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.