Treatment and clinicopathological characteristics of lupus nephritis with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody positivity: a case–control study

OBJECTIVE: To assess the clinical features, pathological presentations, treatments and outcomes of lupus nephritis (LN) with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) positivity. DESIGN: A case–control study. METHODS: Patients (n=49) were retrospectively included from Jinling Hospital in China if presenting with biopsy-proven ANCA-positive LN between 1985 and 2008. Clinicopathological characteristics and outcomes were analysed and compared with those of a control group (n=1279). We further compared treatment responses and outcomes of ANCA-positive LN patients based on the treatment issued. RESULTS: The study included 40 women and 9 men (median age 33 years at biopsy): 38 with myeloperoxidase (MPO)-ANCA, 7 with proteinase 3 (PR3)-ANCA and 4 with double positivity. ANCA-positive LN patients exhibited higher haematuria, serum creatinine levels and systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index scores. On pathological evaluation, class IV LN was predominant, accounting for 61.22% of cases. Light microscopy revealed significantly higher activity index and chronicity index scores, including cellular crescents, interstitial inflammation, tubular atrophy and interstitial fibrosis. ANCA-positive LN patients receiving mycophenolate mofetil as induction therapy had a higher remission rate and better renal outcomes than those receiving cyclophosphamide. During follow-up, end-stage renal disease developed in seven (14.29%) ANCA-positive LN patients, all of them were MPO-ANCA positive. CONCLUSIONS: The characteristics of ANCA-positive LN were massive haematuria and advanced renal insufficiency. We observed a higher remission rate and better prognoses when using mycophenolate mofetil than when using cyclophosphamide as induction therapy.