An unusual presentation of propylthiouracil-induced anti-MPO and PR3 positive ANCA vasculitis with associated anti-GBM antibodies, IgA nephropathy and an IgG4 interstitial infiltrate: a case report

Case report: Propylthiouracil-induced serious side effect: Perinuclear antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis or IgA vasculitis?

INTRODUCTION

Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) is a rare disease characterized by the inflammation and destruction of small blood vessels and circulating ANCAs. Drugs such as antithyroid drugs (ATDs), especially propylthiouracil (PTU), have been used for the production of ANCAs and cause the development of drug-induced AAV. The pathogenesis of this disease is unclear but could be related to the physiological processes affecting the degradation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). At present, PTU is widely used in patients with Graves' disease (GD) who are preparing for pregnancy and whose condition has not been controlled. Once drug-induced AAV has occurred with important organ damage, considering NETs have a significant role in the immune system, whether the cessation of drugs could stop the progression of organ damage is unclear, and a consensus regarding standard treatment has not been established.

PATIENT CONCERNS

In this case report, a female patient who planned pregnancy was hospitalized with multiple joint pain, impaired renal function, and hematuria. Immunofluorescence of the renal biopsy demonstrated spherical and diffuse mesangial distribution of IgA (3+). Autoimmune serology demonstrated positivity for autoantibodies against p-ANCA and an anti-MPO titer 74.72 RU/mL.

DIAGNOSIS

She was diagnosed with PTU-induced p-ANCA-associated and IgA-associated vasculitis (IgAV).

INTERVENTIONS

The patient accepted low doses of glucocorticoid, immunosuppressive therapy and RAI treatment.

OUTCOMES

Both her kidney function and thyroid function remained were on the mend.

CONCLUSION

The authors believe that this type of patient needs to fully consider their pregnancy preparation needs, suspend pregnancy when a small chance of GD remission is indicated, and avoid the use of drugs with reproductive toxicity and other serious adverse events. The multidisciplinary combination therapy of low-dose glucocorticoids and immunosuppressants combined with iodine radiotherapy is one reasonable scheme. At the same time, it is necessary to eliminate the organ damage caused by other reasons. This report provides a clinical treatment basis for patients with drug-induced vasculitis manifestations who cannot receive an accurate diagnosis.

Diagnostic Dilemma of a Complex Case of Cerebral Vasculitis: A Rare Probable Drug-Induced Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody-Associated Vasculitis With Large Vessel Involvement

A case of a 43-year-old male with a history of Graves' disease treated with propylthiouracil was investigated for vasculitis and lymphoproliferative disease. However, his clinical picture was complicated by recurrent episodes of neurological symptoms resembling stroke syndrome, which widened the breadth of the diagnostic workup. Extensive investigations, including imaging and biopsies, excluded other possibilities. The patient was treated as probable cerebral vasculitis after identifying new narrowing in the left middle cerebral artery and was treated with pulsed intravenous methylprednisolone, followed by high-dose oral prednisolone and cyclophosphamide. Repeated brain imaging showed further narrowing of the large vessels, which reaffirmed the likelihood of vasculitis necessitating continuation of induction therapy with further maintenance treatment, which led to stabilization of neurological burden and symptom recovery. This case elucidates complexities in reaching the diagnosis of drug-induced antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis, which can present heterogeneously and mimic other clinical entities such as stroke.

An unsuspected histopathological finding -concomitant IgA nephropathy in a patient with ANCA-associated vasculitis: a case report and literature review

Although associations of IgA nephropathy (IgAN) and ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) have been described, this coexistence scarcely occurs and requires multidisciplinary management. Herein, we discuss a course of treatment introduced in a patient with two exacerbations. Furthermore, alterations in histopathological images between two kidney biopsies are presented. The applicability of traditional inflammatory markers, e.g., CRP, in monitoring disease severity in AAV and IgAN is limited. Based on our patient and current literature, we suggest ANCA testing in patients with rapidly progressing IgAN for therapeutic and prognostic purposes. As regards the therapy of IgAN associated with AAV, aggressive immunosuppressive regimens with methylprednisolone and cyclophosphamide are recommended. Alternatively, methylprednisolone with rituximab, plasma exchange, mycophenolate mofetil, and intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) could also be considered.

Coexistence of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) and IgA nephropathy

Co-occurrence of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) and IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is extremely uncommon. To date, only a few case reports have described such patients. Here, we describe the clinical presentation, pathologic features, treatment response, and outcome data of five patients with the rare form of co-existing AAV and IgAN and compared the characteristics of these patients to AAV patients with pauci-immune glomerulonephritis (n = 10) and IgAN patients (n = 10) that were selected as controls by stratified random sampling. In addition, we summarize all the previously reported cases of AAV and IgAN. In total, including the current study, 16 AAV/IgAN overlap cases were reported. Our five patients with the coexistence of AAV and IgAN were younger than the ten AAV patients with pauci-immune glomerulonephritis (22.6 ± 8.2 years versus 48.9 ± 15.7 years, respectively, P = 0.004). Histologically, they had a significantly lower percentage of glomeruli with fibrous crescents compared with AAV patients (0.0% versus 4.0%, P = 0.038). Compared with ten IgAN patients, our five AAV/IgAN patients had higher levels of ESR (P = 0.032) and CRP (P = 0.031). After accepting treatment with a combination of steroid and immunosuppressants, all patients showed a positive response to therapy, except for one patient in our cohort and another previously reported patient. We described the clinical presentation, pathologic features, treatment response, and outcome data of five patients with overlapping AAV and IgAN. They had mild glomerular pathological lesions and a positive response to aggressive immunosuppressive therapy. They were quite similar to pauci-immune AAV patients in clinical features, except for younger age. They had a lower percentage of glomeruli with fibrous crescents compared with AAV patients. In contrast to IgAN patients, they had higher levels of ESR and CRP. The mechanism of the coexistence of IgAN and AAV needs further study.

Triple Jeopardy: Rapidly Progressive Glomerulonephritis Induced by Triple Seropositive Disease—A Rare Case

The double-positive disease is the co-occurrence of antiglomerular basement membrane (anti-GBM) disease and antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCAs) and is an uncommon cause of renal failure. Our case of triple-positive disease is an even rarer cause of isolated renal failure, as it includes anti-GBM, antimyeloperoxidase (MPO), and antiproteinase 3 (PR3). We present a case of a 62-year-old Caucasian male with a history of multiple comorbidities, who presented to the emergency department (ED) with worsening dyspnea on exertion that started about one month prior to admission. He was found to be in renal failure secondary to triple-positive disease. We believe that the likely mechanism of our patient's triple-positive disease was a drug-induced ANCA vasculitis overlapping with Goodpasture's syndrome. We believe our case to be a valuable addition to the literature as it is a rare overlap syndrome without a previously established disease course or etiology.

Acute tubulointerstitial nephritis associated with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody following cimetidine treatment: a case report

Background

Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis usually induces rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis, including pauci-immune necrotizing crescentic glomerulonephritis. Acute tubulointerstitial nephritis (ATIN), which is often drug-induced, is a frequent cause of kidney injury. However, ATIN associated with ANCA without any glomerular lesions has been rarely reported, and drug-induced ATIN associated with ANCA is not well recognized. Here we present a case of an older woman with ATIN associated with myeloperoxidase-ANCA (MPO-ANCA) following cimetidine treatment.

Case presentation

A 70-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital due to acute kidney injury and mild proteinuria. She had a one-year history of chronic thyroiditis and dyslipidemia, for which she was taking levothyroxine sodium and atorvastatin, respectively. Two weeks before admission she had started cimetidine, methylmethionine sulfonium chloride, and itopride hydrochloride for gastric discomfort persistent since a month. She had experienced fatigue for two weeks and later appetite loss. The patient demonstrated a positive titer for MPO-ANCA (192 IU/mL) and a positive drug-induced lymphocyte stimulation test for cimetidine. She underwent two kidney biopsies that revealed ATIN without any glomerular lesions. Despite discontinuation of cimetidine on admission, renal injury continued with the presence of high MPO-ANCA titer. Oral steroid treatment was closely related with the recovery of her renal function and disappearance of MPO-ANCA.

Conclusions

In this case, ATIN presented as sustained renal insufficiency and high MPO-ANCA titer despite withdrawal of cimetidine. Therefore, we reason that the development of ANCA-associated ATIN was caused by cimetidine. Serologic follow-up with measurement of MPO-ANCA titers and renal biopsy are recommended when the clinical history is inconsistent with the relatively benign course of drug-induced ATIN.

[Purpura in a young woman with hyperthyroidism]

INTRODUCTION

Propylthiouracil (PTU) is a synthetic antithyroid drug that can induce ANCA-associated vasculitis.

OBSERVATION

A 27-year-old woman diagnosed with Graves' disease was on PTU for the past 10 years. She developed purpuric lesions of the legs and on the tip of the nose diagnosed as vasculitis. ANCAs were positive, with anti-MPO and anti-PR3 on blood ELISA. After discontinuation of PTU, she was able to fully recover.

CONCLUSION

All synthetic antithyroid drugs can induce ANCA-associated vasculitis, more often PTU. In most cases, antibodies are directed against MPO. Dual anti-MPO and anti-PR3 positivity is possible, but rare. The mechanism could be through an accumulation of PTU in neutrophils, altering the structure of MPO and making it immunogenic. PTU can also induce ANCA-free or lupus vasculitis, maculopapular rashes or urticaria. Many other drugs can induce ANCA-associated vasculitis.