Investigation of ANCA (Anti neutrophiliccytoplasmicantibody) parameters in COVID-19 patients by İFA (immune fluorescence antibody) method

Aim: Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) is a pandemiccausedby a newcoronavirusbelongingtothe beta coronavirusfamily. Intheliterature, immuneglomerulonephritisandpulmonaryhemorrhagecaseshavebeenreported as a result of vasculitisassociatedwith ANCA positivitythatmaydevelopduring COVID-19 disease.The aim of this study was to investigate ANCA positivity in COVID-19 infection. Material and Methods: Between June 2021 and November 2022, 200 COVID-19 patients (COVID-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction test positive) aged 18-90, without any known autoimmune disease, from the COVID-19 outpatient clinic, service or intensive care units of Dicle University Hospital were included. The control group consisted of 50 healthy blood donors in the same age group who did not have COVID-19, negative PCR test, and no autoimmune disease. The serum samples of the patient and control groups were tested for myeloperoxidase (MPO), proteinase 3 (PR3), cytoplasmic and perinuclear ANCA (c-ANCA and p-ANCA) antibodies with the immunofluorescence method (IFA) by EUROPLUS Granulocyte Mosaic EUROPattern (EUROIMMUN, Germany) kit. Results: Of the 200 COVID-19 patient groups, 12 (6%) p-ANCA and 15 (7.5%) c- ANCA positivity were detected.ANCA was not detected in the control group.ANCA positivity in the COVID-19 patient group was found to be statistically significant (p<0.05). ANCA positivity in patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit was found to be significantly higher than in service and outpatient clinic patients (p<0.05). Conclusion: With this study, it was concluded that COVID-19 infection may trigger ANCA autoantibody synthesis, which causes vasculitis. There are few studies on this subject in the literature. The data of our study will form the basis for more extensive research.