Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody seropositivity in young adults aged up to 35 years: kidney histopathological findings and patient outcomes

Objective To investigate the clinical features, pathological renal findings, and outcomes in young adults with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) seropositivity. Methods Adults aged <= 35 years, with ANCA seropositivity, who underwent renal biopsy and received treatment comprising a combination of corticosteroids and cyclophosphamide between January 2004 and May 2018, were retrospectively enrolled. Results Thirteen patients with ANCA seropositivity were included, all of whom presented with kidney disease at diagnosis: 10 (76.9%) with ANCA-associated pauci-immune glomerulonephritis, one with ANCA-associated crescentic glomerulonephritis with immune complex deposition, one with immunoglobulin A nephropathy, and one with membranous nephropathy. The median serum creatinine level was 183.2 mu mol/l (range, 55.0-1024.0 mu mol/l). Respiratory symptoms (9/13 [69.2%]) and nonspecific gastrointestinal symptoms (5/13 [38.5%]) were the most common extrarenal manifestations. Remission was achieved in 10 (91%) of 11 ANCA-associated nephritis cases, and median interval from diagnosis to relapse was 30 months (range, 9-63 months). Cumulative relapse-free survival rates at 1 and 5 years were 100% and 88.9%, respectively. Overall, 1-year and 5-year renal survival rates were 80.8% and 58.9%, respectively. Conclusion Renal histopathology varied in young adults with ANCA seropositivity. Although relapse rates in this young adult population were generally low, long-term renal survival rates remain unsatisfactory.