02101nas a2200385   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001500055653001000070653000900080653004300089653001100132653001000143653001100153653004500164653001100209653001200220653000900232653001600241653002500257653002900282653000900311100001700320700001800337700001500355700001400370700001100384700001100395700001600406245005500422300001100477490000700488520120600495022001401701       2007                            d  c2007 Feb10aAdolescent10aAdult10aAged10aAntibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic10aBiopsy10aChild10aFemale10aFluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect10aHumans10aleprosy10aMale10aMiddle Aged10aMycobacterium leprae10aReagent Kits, Diagnostic10aSkin1 aEdington FLB1 aBacellar MOAR1 aMachado PR1 aBarbosa L1 aReis E1 aReis M1 aSantiago MB00aAnti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies in leprosy.  a208-100 v263 a<p><b>INTRODUCTION: </b>Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibodies (ANCA) are auto-antibodies directed to intracellular components of neutrophils and used to be considered as present almost exclusively in granulomatous vasculitis. Recently, these auto-antibodies have been found in other autoimmune disorders as well as infectious diseases.</p><p><b>MATERIALS AND METHODS: </b>We studied patients with leprosy confirmed by bacilloscopy and/or skin biopsy, in reaction phase from the Ambulatório de Hanseníase do Hospital Universitário Professor Edgar Santos. ANCA and Antinuclear antibodies (ANA) were determined by indirect immunofluorescence using commercially available kits.</p><p><b>RESULTS: </b>Twenty patients were enrolled in our study, nine males and 11 females. The mean age was 36.9+/-18.2 years. ANCA were present only in one patient, with a perinuclear staining pattern (p-ANCA), and no patient tested positive for ANA.</p><p><b>DISCUSSION: </b>Although other studies have shown the presence of ANCA in leprosy, the low frequency of these antibodies in leprosy sera demonstrated in the present study illustrates the high specificity of ANCA for the diagnosis of Wegener granulomatosis.</p>  a0770-3198