p-ANCA with myeloperoxidase antibodies and c-ANCA with proteinase 3 antibodies define a different vasculitis entity in patients with renal involvement.

In a 3 year period 359/3685 patients with suspected vasculitis had a positive ANCA-IF. C-ANCA were found in 146/359 and p-ANCA in 213/359 patients. P-ANCA and MPO-antibodies were more frequently associated with female gender and preglomerular vasculitis, whereas c-ANCA (WG) were more frequent in males without renal vasculitis. Detection of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) has facilitated the diagnosis of Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) and microscopic polyarteritis (MP), important representatives of small vessel vasculitides (SVV). C-ANCA with proteinase 3 antibodies (PR 3-AB) are typical of WG and p-ANCA with myeloperoxidase antibodies (MPO-AB) are typical of MP in our country. We reported recently about an association between crescentic glomerulonephritis, renal vasculitis, p-ANCA, myeloperoxidase-AB and female gender in a small cohort of patients with rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (RPGN). In the following we analyzed whether in a larger cohort of patients with SVV this preliminary statements could be confirmed.