ANCA-positive crescentic glomerulonephritis associated with minocycline therapy

Am J Kidney Dis. 2003 Aug;42(2):E27-31. doi: 10.1016/s0272-6386(03)00671-1.

Abstract

Minocycline is an oral antibiotic widely used for the long-term treatment of acne and rheumatoid arthritis. A few patients develop antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCAs) during minocycline therapy. In this report, the authors describe a case of severe pauci-immune crescentic and necrotizing glomerulonephritis associated with positive cytoplasmic ANCA (C-ANCA) titers and proteinase 3 (PR3) levels after minocycline therapy. Discontinuation of minocycline and initiation of immunosuppressive treatment resulted in improvement of renal function and decline in C-ANCA titers and PR3 levels. A high degree of suspicion, testing for ANCA titers, prompt discontinuation of the drug, and initiation of immunosuppressive treatment are crucial to the diagnosis and treatment of drug-induced ANCA-associated glomerulonephritis.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic / analysis*
  • Arthralgia / diagnosis
  • Arthralgia / drug therapy
  • Arthralgia / etiology
  • Arthritis, Rheumatoid / diagnosis
  • Arthritis, Rheumatoid / drug therapy
  • Autoimmune Diseases / chemically induced*
  • Autoimmune Diseases / drug therapy
  • Autoimmune Diseases / immunology
  • Bites and Stings
  • Diagnostic Errors
  • Female
  • Glomerulonephritis / chemically induced*
  • Glomerulonephritis / drug therapy
  • Glomerulonephritis / immunology
  • Humans
  • Immunosuppressive Agents / therapeutic use
  • Minocycline / adverse effects*
  • Myeloblastin
  • Serine Endopeptidases / immunology
  • Ticks

Substances

  • Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic
  • Immunosuppressive Agents
  • Serine Endopeptidases
  • Myeloblastin
  • Minocycline