Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibodies, Abnormal
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British Journal of Rheumatology 1996;35:958-964 ANTINEUTROPHIL CYTOPLASMIC ANTIBODIES, ABNORMAL ANGIOGRAMS AND PATHOLOGICAL FINDINGS IN POLYARTERTTIS NODOSA AND CHURG-STRAUSS SYNDROME: INDICATIONS FOR THE CLASSIFICATION OF VASCULITIDES OF THE POLYARTERTTIS NODOSA GROUP* L. GUILLEVIN, F. LHOTE, J. AMOUROUX,* R. GHERARDI,t P. CALLARDJ: and P. CASASSUS Service de Medecine Interne, *Service (TAnatomo-pathologie, Hopital Avicenne, Bobigny, ^Service de Neuropathologie, Hopital Henri Mondor, Creteil and %Service a"Anatomo-pathologie, Hopital Tenon, Paris, France Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/rheumatology/article/35/10/958/1782474 by guest on 30 September 2021 SUMMARY The present study attempted to define the clinical, radiological, immunological and pathological characteristics of microscopic polyangiitis (MPA), and to separate them from classic PAN (c-PAN) and Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS). In most cases, patients presenting microaneurysms and/or multiple vessel stenoses, which reflect medium-sized vessel involvement, did not have antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) (6.6%). Conversely, patients with glomerulonephritis almost never had abnormal angiograms. Furthermore, the clinical characteristics of ANCA-positive patients also indicate small-sized vessel involvement. Skin involvement (73.1 vs 26.7%, P < 0.05), glomcrulonephritis (38.5 vs 0%, P sg 0.001) and the presence of ANCA (34.6 vs 6.7%, P ^ 0.05) were significantly more frequent in patients with normal than abnormal angiograms, respectively. Conversely, hypertension (66.7 vs 23.1%, P sg 0.02), renal vasculitis (46.7 vs 0%, P sg 0.001) and hepatitis B antigenaemia (60 vs 11.5%, P < 0.01) were significantly more common in patients with abnormal angiograms. Stratification of patients according to vessel size showed that, except for skin involvement (P ^ 0.05) and glomerulonephritis (P < 0.01), which are direct manifestations of small-sized vessel diseases, clinical symptoms of PAN or CSS, angiographic findings and ANCA were not correlated to arteriole size. Although at present it is not possible to separate definitively MPA from c-PAN, our results show that ANCA should be considered diagnostic for MPA and, in most cases, should be an exclusion criterion for c-PAN. Conversely, small-sized vessel involvement can be observed in patients presenting characteristics of c-PAN, MPA or CSS and, therefore, is not a sufficient criterion for assigning diagnosis. KEY WORDS: Polyarteritis nodosa, Microscopic polyangiitis, Churg-Strauss syndrome, ANCA. POLYARTERITIS nodosa (PAN) comprises a variety of clinical manifestations are very similar to those of necrotizing angiitides that are not homogeneous. This PAN, but it is characterized by the presence of rapidly vasculitis group includes Churg-Strauss syndrome progressive glomerulonephritis (RPGN), which is (CSS) but, according to a recent classification [1], it nearly constant and pulmonary involvement usually can be subdivided into classic polyarteritis nodosa absent in c-PAN [3]. Davson et al. [4] attempted to (c-PAN), microscopic polyangiitis (MPA), formerly characterize MPA more clearly as early as 1948, by microscopic polyarteritis, and CSS. c-PAN was first noting its constant association with glomerulo- described by Kussmaul and Maier [2]. The main nephritis, unlike patients with c-PAN who only manifestations of this well-known form of necrotizing occasionally develop vascular nephropathy. CSS is a angiitis are weight loss, fever, asthenia, peripheral disorder characterized by hypereosinophilia and neuropathy, renal involvement, musculoskeletal and systemic necrotizing vasculitis similar to that of PAN, cutaneous manifestations, hypertension, gastrointest- and occurring in individuals with asthma and allergic inal tract involvement and cardiac failure [3]. Primary rhinitis. and secondary vasculitides can be distinguished by Recently, the Chapel Hill Consensus Conference considering the causes of PAN, because c-PAN can be nomenclature [1] attempted to define a standardized the consequence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection nomenclature system for some of the most common and sometimes of other aetiological agents. Micro- forms of non-infectious systemic vasculitis and to scopic polyangiitis, recently individualized from PAN, determine fundamental definitions for the vasculitides is a systemic vasculitis of small-sized vessels whose so named. The conference authors classified 10 selected vasculitic entities of vasculitis into three groups: large-vessel vasculitis, medium-sized vessel vasculitis 'Presented at the 6th International ANCA Workshop, Paris, and small-vessel vasculitis. The proposed distinguish- France, 28 June-1 July 1995. ing feature for c-PAN versus MPA is the absence Submitted 14 September 1995; revised version accepted 19 April versus the presence of vasculitis in arterioles, venules or 1996. capillaries. Small-vessel involvement, when present, is Correspondence to: L. Guillevin, Service de Medecine Interne, Hopital Avicenne, 125 rue de Stalingrad, 93009 Bobigny cedex, the definitive diagnostic criterion of MPA and excludes France. the diagnosis of PAN even if medium-sized artery © 1996 British Society for Rheumatology 958 GUILLEVIN ET AL.: DIAGNOSIS AND CLASSIFICATION OF VASCULITIDES 959 lesions are also seen. Other clinical, biological and PATIENTS AND METHODS histological criteria are not taken into consideration. Patients ANCA positivity and the presence or absence of Patients included in the study had systemic PAN or microaneurysms and/or stenoses were not considered CSS diagnosed clinically by the presence of multiple to be diagnostic criteria. However, correlation be- system involvement and histological evidence of tween vessel size, ANCA and angiograms has not vascular lesions indicative of vasculitis (focal or been established, and classification criteria need to segmental vascular lesions, fibrinoid necrosis and/or be validated. This nomenclature has the advantage pleomorphic inflammatory cell infiltration of the of emphasizing the existence of MPA, but the arterial wall). Only patients with symptoms of recent disadvantage of giving it too large a place in the onset were included and all explorative examinations family of vasculitides. Small-vessel involvement is were made before the initiation of treatment. Patients Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/rheumatology/article/35/10/958/1782474 by guest on 30 September 2021 present in c-PAN, and the publication of Kussmaul with cutaneous PAN or limited forms of the disease and Maier [2] included a description of capillary were excluded from the study, as were patients with vasculitis existing with small- and medium-sized other forms of systemic vasculitides. vessel vasculitis lesions. Histological findings of vasculitis, in nerve for instance, are common to Methods several necrotizing angiopathies. Small-vessel in- Patients were selected from the database of the volvement is usually found in epineural arteries, and French Polyarteritis Nodosa Study Group. Only may be concurrent with skin nodules and purpura, patients subjected to ANCA detection and angiogra- which are present in patients with classic PAN. In phy, and in whom vaculitis was observed in biopsies, this study, we attempted to correlate pathological, were included in this study. All of them had been angiographic findings and the presence of ANCA in included in prospective trials, the results of which have patients with PAN and CSS, and to establish been published elsewhere [5, 6]. Abdominal aortogra- whether vessel size and/or ANCA and/or other phy with renal, coeliac and superior mesenteric angiographic findings could be considered a criterion arteriography were performed on every patient. The sufficient to diagnose MPA and/or to exclude arterial changes were classified as follows: normal, c-PAN. stenosis, occlusion and/or aneurysm. Both fusiform TABLE I Oinical manifestations and laboratory data on patients with PAN and CSS classified according to angiography results and size of affected vessels Angiography Histology Abdominal aneurysms Vessel Vessel Normal and/or stenoses P <200 fim >200 jim P Total Parameter (/) = 26) («-15) < (n = 26) (n - 15) < (n-41) Age (yr), mean ± S.D. 56.8 ± 16 45.6 ± 17 51.7 ± 15 54.5 ± 20.6 Sex ratio, M/F 19 M, 7 F 10 M, 5 F 21 M, 5 F 8 M, 7 F Weight loss 19 (73.1) 14 (93.3) ns 19(73.1) 14 (93.3) ns 33 Fever 16 (61.5) 9(60) ns 16(61.5) 9(60) ns 25 Abdominal symptoms 14 (53.8) 10 (66.7) ns 14 (53.8) 10 (66.7) ns 24 Peripheral neuropathy 16 (61.5) 9(60) ns 15 (57.7) 10 (66.7) ns 25 Arthralgias 16 (61.5) 6(40) ns 14 (53.8) 8 (53.3) ns 22 Skin involvement 19 (73.1) 4 (26.6) 0.05 18 (69.2) 5 (33.3) 0.05 23 Hypertension 6 (23.1) 10 (66.7) 0.02 12 (46.2) 4 (26.7) ns 16 Myalgias 17 (65.4) 6(40) ns 14 (53.8) 9(60) ns 23 Kidney involvement 10 (38.5) 7 (46.7) ns 13(50) 4 (26.7) ns 17 Renal vasculitis 0 7(46.7) 0.001 3(11.5) 4 (26.7) ns 7 Glomerulonephritis 10 (38.5) 0 0.001 10 (38.5) 0 0.01 10 Lung involvement 5 (19.2) 1 (6.7) ns 3(11.5) 3(20) ns 6 Asthma 5 (19.2) 1 (6.7) ns 3(11.5) 3(20) ns 6 Alveolar haemorrhage 0 0 ns 0 0 ns 0 Cardiac involvement (except pericarditis) 4 (15.4) 0 ns 2 (7.7) 2 (13.3) ns 4 Orchitis 0 4(40) 0.01 4(19) 0 ns 4 CNS involvement 3(11.5) 0 ns 2 (7.6) 0 ns 5 ANCA (IFA) 7 p, 2 c 1 p-ANCA 0.05 5 p, 2 c-ANCA 3 p-ANCA ns 10 ANCA (ELISA) 6 anti-MPO, 1 anti-MPO 5 anti-MPO, 3 anti-MPO 2 anti-PR3* 1 PR3* Creatininaemia (/imol/1) 148 ±183 151 ± 112 ns 167 ± 196 118 ±73 ns Hepatitis B antigen 3(11.5) 9(60) 0.01 7 (26.9) 5 (33.3) ns 12 p, perinuclear staining pattern; c, cytoplasmic staining pattern; MPO, myeloperoxidase; PR3, proteinase 3. ns, non-significant.