Skip to main content

Detection of Anti-neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibodies (ANCA) by Indirect Immunofluorescence

  • Protocol
  • First Online:
Autoantibodies

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 1901))

Abstract

The eventual presence of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) can initially be screened with indirect immunofluorescence (IIF). The majority of laboratories that facilitate ANCA testing use commercial kits. Although in-house assays are not encouraged in routine clinical laboratories, knowledge on the methodological aspects of the assay remains of importance. These aspects include choice of substrate, choice of fixative, staining procedure, and interpretation procedure. In this paper details on the methodology are provided and discussed in the context of the clinical application.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Protocol
USD 49.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 139.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 179.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Abbreviations

AAV:

ANCA-associated vasculitis

ANA:

Anti-nuclear antibodies

ANCA:

Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies

BPI:

Bactericidal permeability increasing protein

CF:

Cystic fibrosis

EGPA:

Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis

FITC:

Fluorescein isothiocyanate

GPA:

Granulomatosis with polyangiitis

IBD:

Inflammatory bowel disease

IIF:

Indirect immunofluorescence

MPA:

Microscopic polyangiitis

MPO:

Myeloperoxidase

PR3:

Proteinase 3

PSC:

Primary sclerosing cholangitis

RA:

Rheumatoid arthritis

SLE:

Systemic lupus erythematosus

SVV:

Small vessel vasculitis

References

  1. Bosch X, Guilabert A, Font J (2006) Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies. Lancet 368:404–418

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Jennette JC, Falk RJ, Bacon PA et al (2013) 2012 revised International Chapel Hill Consensus conference nomenclature of vasculitides. Arthritis Rheum 65:1–11

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Savige J, Gillis D, Benson E et al (1999) International consensus statement on testing and reporting of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA). Am J Clin Pathol 111:507–513

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Niles JL, McCluskey RT, Ahmad MF et al (1989) Wegener's granulomatosis autoantigen is a novel neutrophil serine proteinase. Blood 74:1888–1893

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Falk RJ, Jennette JC (1988) Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies with specificity for myeloperoxidase in patients with systemic vasculitis and idiopathic necrotizing and crescentic glomerulonephritis. N Engl J Med 318:1651–1657

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Beauvillain C, Delneste Y, Renier G et al (2008) Antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies: how should the biologist manage them? Clin Rev Allergy Immunol 35:47–58

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Kyriakidi KS, Tsianos VE, Karvounis E et al (2016) Neutrophil anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody proteins: bactericidal increasing protein, lactoferrin, cathepsin, and elastase as serological markers of inflammatory bowel and other diseases. Ann Gastroenterol 29(3):258–267

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  8. Liberal R, Mieli-Vergani G, Vergani D (2013) Clinical significance of autoantibodies in autoimmune hepatitis. J Autoimmun 46:17–24

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Saxon A, Shanahan F, Landers C et al (1990) A distinct subset of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies is associated with inflammatory bowel disease. J Allergy Clin Immunol 86:202–210

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Roozendaal C, Zhao MH, Horst G et al (1998) Catalase and alpha-enolase: two novel granulocyte autoantigens in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Clin Exp Immunol 112:10–16

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Mulder AH, Horst G, Haagsma EB et al (1993) Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) in autoimmune liver disease. Adv Exp Med Biol 336:545–549

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Weiner M, Segelmark M (2016) The clinical presentation and therapy of diseases related to anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA). Autoimmun Rev 15:978–982

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Damoiseaux J, Csernok E, Rasmussen N et al (2016) Detection of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCAs): a multicentre European Vasculitis Study Group (EUVAS) evaluation of the value of indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) versus antigen-specific immunoassays. Ann Rheum Dis 76:647–653

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Bossuyt X, Cohen Tervaert JW, Arimura Y et al (2017) Revised 2017 international consensus on testing of ANCAs in granulomatosis with polyangiitis and microscopic polyangiitis. Nat Rev Rheumatol 13(11):683–692

    Google Scholar 

  15. Wiik A (1989) Delineation of a standard procedure for indirect immunofluorescence detection of ANCA. APMIS Suppl 6:12–13

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Radice A, Sinico RA (2005) Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA). Autoimmunity 38:93–103

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Radice A, Vecchi M, Bianchi MB et al (2000) Contribution of immunofluorescence to the identification and characterization of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies. The role of different fixatives. Clin Exp Rheumatol 18:707–712

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Terjung B, Worman HJ, Herzog V et al (2001) Differentiation of antineutrophil nuclear antibodies in inflammatory bowel and autoimmune liver diseases from antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (p-ANCA) using immunofluorescence microscopy. Clin Exp Immunol 126:37–46

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Hoffman GS, Specks U (1998) Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies. Arthritis Rheum 41:1521–1537

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Chowdhury SM, Broomhead V, Spickett GP et al (1999) Pitfalls of formalin fixation for determination of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies. J Clin Pathol 52:475–477

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Damoiseaux J, Heijnen I, Van Campenhout C et al (2017) An international survey on anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) testing in daily clinical practice. Clin Chem Lab Med. https://doi.org/10.1515/cclm-2017-0306

  22. Boyum A (1976) Isolation of lymphocytes, granulocytes and macrophages. Scand J Immunol Suppl 5:9–15

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Wiik A, Rasmussen N, Wieslander J et al (1993) Methods to detect autoantibodies to neutrophilic granulocytes. Manual Biol Mark Dis A9:1–14

    Google Scholar 

  24. Paspaliaris B, Pamio M, Savige J (2000) Indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) of normal washed peripheral blood cells to demonstrate antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA). J Clin Pathol 53:774–777

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Narayanan S (2000) The preanalytic phase. An important component of laboratory medicine. Am J Clin Pathol 113:429–452

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Pollock W, Clarke K, Gallagher K et al (2002) Immunofluorescent patterns produced by antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) vary depending on neutrophil substrate and conjugate. J Clin Pathol 55:680–683

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Csernok E, Damoiseaux J, Rasmussen N et al (2016) Evaluation of automated multi-parametric indirect immunofluorescence assays to detect anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) in granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) and microscopic polyangiitis (MPA). Autoimmun Rev 15:736–741

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Emoto K, Yamashita S, Okada Y (2005) Mechanisms of heat-induced antigen retrieval: does pH or ionic strength of the solution play a role for refolding antigens? J Histochem Cytochem 53:1311–1321

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Stokes BO (2004) Principles of cytocentrifugation. Lab Med 35:434–437

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Bouzid D, Haddouk S, Amouri A et al (2011) Contribution of immunofluorescence to identification and characterization of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies in inflammatory bowel disease. Indian J Gastroenterol 30:229–232

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Lin MW, Silvestrini RA, Culican S et al (2014) A dual-fixed neutrophil substrate improves interpretation of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies by indirect immunofluorescence. Am J Clin Pathol 142:325–330

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Jamur MC, Oliver C (2010) Permeabilization of cell membranes. Methods Mol Biol 588:63–66

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Spickett GP, Broomhead V (1995) Formalin fixation and patterns of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies. J Clin Pathol 48:89–90

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Pollock W, Trevisin M, Savige J et al (2008) Testing on formalin-fixed neutrophils is less sensitive and specific for small vessel vasculitis, and less sensitive for MPO-ANCA, than most ELISAs. J Immunol Methods 339:141–145

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Livesey JH, Ellis MJ, Evans MJ (2008) Pre-analytical requirements. Clin Biochem Rev 29(Suppl 1):S11–S15

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  36. Savige J, Dimech W, Fritzler M et al (2003) Addendum to the International Consensus Statement on testing and reporting of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies. Quality control guidelines, comments, and recommendations for testing in other autoimmune diseases. Am J Clin Pathol 120:312–318

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Radice A, Bianchi L, Sinico RA (2013) Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies: methodological aspects and clinical significance in systemic vasculitis. Autoimmun Rev 12:487–495

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Twomey SL, Bernett GE (1975) Immunofluorescence method for detecting anti-myocardial antibodies, and its use in diagnosing heart disease. Clin Chem 21:1903–1906

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Lee SS, Lawton JW, Chak W (1991) Distinction between antinuclear antibody and P-ANCA. J Clin Pathol 44:962–963

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Savige JA, Paspaliaris B, Silvestrini R et al (1998) A review of immunofluorescent patterns associated with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) and their differentiation from other antibodies. J Clin Pathol 51:568–575

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Boomsma MM, Damoiseaux JG, Stegeman CA et al (2003) Image analysis: a novel approach for the quantification of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody levels in patients with Wegener's granulomatosis. J Immunol Methods 274:27–35

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Knutter I, Hiemann R, Brumma T et al (2012) Automated interpretation of ANCA patterns - a new approach in the serology of ANCA-associated vasculitis. Arthritis Res Ther 14:R271

    Article  Google Scholar 

  43. Damoiseaux J, Mallet K, Vaessen M et al (2012) Automatic reading of ANCA-slides: evaluation of the AKLIDES system. Clin Dev Immunol 2012:762874

    Article  Google Scholar 

  44. Melegari A, Bonaguri C, Russo A et al (2012) A comparative study on the reliability of an automated system for the evaluation of cell-based indirect immunofluorescence. Autoimmun Rev 11:713–716

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. Shovman O, Agmon-Levin N, Gilburd B et al (2015) A fully automated IIF system for the detection of antinuclear antibodies and antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies. Immunol Res 61:135–140

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. Krause C, Ens K, Fechner K et al (2015) EUROPattern Suite technology for computer-aided immunofluorescence microscopy in autoantibody diagnostics. Lupus 24:516–529

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. Sowa M, Grossmann K, Knutter I et al (2014) Simultaneous automated screening and confirmatory testing for vasculitis-specific ANCA. PLoS One 9:e107743

    Article  Google Scholar 

  48. Avery TY, Bons J, van Paassen P et al (2016) Diagnostic ANCA algorithms in daily clinical practice: evidence, experience, and effectiveness. Lupus 25:917–924

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  49. Lohse AW (2015) Diagnostic criteria for autoimmune hepatitis: scores and more. Dig Dis 33(Suppl 2):47–52

    Article  Google Scholar 

  50. Stange EF, Travis SP, Vermeire S et al (2008) European evidence-based Consensus on the diagnosis and management of ulcerative colitis: Definitions and diagnosis. J Crohns Colitis 2:1–23

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  51. Van Assche G, Dignass A, Panes J et al (2010) The second European evidence-based Consensus on the diagnosis and management of Crohn's disease: Definitions and diagnosis. J Crohns Colitis 4:7–27

    Article  Google Scholar 

  52. Bizzaro N, Bossuyt X, Haapala AM et al (2017) Accreditation in autoimmune diagnostic laboratories. A position paper of the European Autoimmunity Standardisation Initiative (EASI). Autoimmun Rev 16:81–86

    Article  Google Scholar 

  53. Borregaard N, Cowland JB (1997) Granules of the human neutrophilic polymorphonuclear leukocyte. Blood 89:3503–3521

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge Kai Fechner (Euroimmun AG, Germany) for providing the image of formalin-fixed granulocytes.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to J. Damoiseaux .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature

About this protocol

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this protocol

van Beers, J.J.B.C., Vanderlocht, J., Roozendaal, C., Damoiseaux, J. (2019). Detection of Anti-neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibodies (ANCA) by Indirect Immunofluorescence. In: Houen, G. (eds) Autoantibodies. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1901. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-8949-2_4

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-8949-2_4

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-8948-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-8949-2

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

Publish with us

Policies and ethics