Thursday, January 29, 2009

From the RFN Archives: Drug-Induced ANCA

A subset of patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis have drug-induced ANCA disease. There are a few features of drug-induced ANCA disease which set it apart from "idiopathic" ANCA disease, but overall the clinical symptoms are similar.

Drug-induced ANCA almost always involves the production of anti-MPO antibodies (p-ANCA) as opposed to anti-PR3 antibodies. Occasionally, the disease will resolve on its own with removal of the drug--but more often than not, standard immunosuppressive therapy (e.g., Cytoxan and steroids) is required. Rash is a frequent manifestation of the vasculitis. Often, hydralazine-induced ANCA is associated with the production of MANY autoantibodies (e.g., ANA and many others) beyond just ANCA. Also, drug-induced ANCA does not typically occur until the patient has been on the drug for a few years--not your typical drug-induced allergic reaction which would occur within the first few days of starting the drug.
There is a long list of drugs which have had associations with ANCA-associated disease, but a few of the more convincing drug associations of which to be aware are:
1. HYDRALAZINE!
2. propylthiouracil
3. penicillamine
4. minacycline

Ciprofloxacin, allopurinol, sulfasalazine, and phenytoin have also been implicated but the evidence is not as strong as the previous 4.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Renal Fellow Network encourages comments and discussion regarding the posts. Do not post any comments that are commercial or advertising in nature. Posts will be deleted if commercial or advertising comments are made. Internet users commenting on the Renal Fellow Network must post information which is true and correct to their knowledge. Sources to health/medical claims must be provided when relevant. Moderators reserve the right to erase, without notification, any comment they would judge inappropriate.