Detection of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases

Aims: Despite methodological difficulties, perinuclear antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (P-ANCA) is often screened in IBD patients for its clinical value. The antigen specificity of this atypical P-ANCA is different from the vasculitis associated classic P-ANCA, but the distinction of the two patterns on ethanol-fixed neutrophil substrate by indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) is difficult. Patients and methods: We analyzed the usefulness of applying formaldehyde-fixed neutrophils adding to ethanol-fixed ones in the detection of atypical P-ANCA in 204 IBD patients (CD: 111, UC: 96). Furthermore, we determined t…