Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody

Diagnostic Use

ANCA testing should primarily be undertaken in patients presenting with symptoms suggestive of a small vessel vasculitis.
The main systemic necrotising vasculitides that are associated with a positive ANCA pattern are:

Granulomatous Polyangiitis (GPA)
Microscopic Polyarteritis
Rapidly Progressive Glomerulonephritis
Eosinophilic Granulomatous Polyangiitis (EGPA).

(In accordance with the revised 2017 international consensus on testing of ANCAs)

For urgent/rapid testing (vasculitis screen MPO,PR3 and GBM) please telephone the Immunology laboratory.

Department

Immunology

Delphic Registration Code

ANCA

Synonyms

ANCA

Turnaround Time

3 days

Test Code

6845

Specimen Type

• Serum

Specimen Requirements

Tube/Container Type:

Preferred

• Serum (Red Cap)

Preferred if West Coast

• SST II (Gold Cap)

Acceptable

• SST II (Gold Cap)

Preferred Sample Volume (ml)

5

Minimum Sample Volume (ml)

0.5

No of Samples Required

1

Paediatric Specimen Requirements

Tube/Container Type:

Preferred

• Serum (Red Cap)

Acceptable

• SST II (Gold Cap)

Preferred Sample Volume (ml)

0.5

Aliquot Instructions

Sample Type

• Serum

Minimum Volume (ml)

0.1

Transport to Lab

Ambient (8 - 24 degrees Celsius)

Additional Referral/Aliquot Information

100 uL serum - minimum, 1 mL serum - preferred. Store in fridge

Interpretation

Any positive ANCA detected by indirect immunofluorescence will automatically be reflexed for specific testing for anti-MPO and anti-PR3.

Anti-neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody

Two major forms of pattern are seen: the cytoplasmic ANCA (cANCA) usually associated with autoantibodies against anti-proteinase 3 (PR3), and the perinuclear (pANCA) pattern generally associated with myeloperoxidase (MPO) autoantibodies.

Note ‘false positives’ may occur in diseases which may mimic systemic vasculitis e.g. infective endocarditis, tuberculosis, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, acquired immune deficiency syndrome.

P-ANCA (of anti-MPO specificity) are found in up to 50 percent of patients with microscopic polyarteritis and pauci-immune glomerulonephritis, in addition to rheumatoid arthritis, SLE and ulcerative colitis.

Reference Intervals

– Not detected
– Positive and pattern

Test Method

Indirect Immunofluorescence on formalin fixed neutrophils.

ANCA are screened at 1 in 20.

Non-Funded Test Cost

$39.19 (Exclusive of GST)

Billing Code

6845

Contact Information

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