Poliarterite nodosa due to anti elastase antibody

The Authors related one case of polyarteritis nodosa occurred to a men forty eight years old.The clinical was characterized by mesenteric and femoral arteries occlusion and chronic cutaneous ulcers to legs. There were bioptical aspects of systemic vasculitis with necrotizing inflammation and a paucity of immune deposit. It was effective oral cyclophosphamide plus steroids. This disease was closely associated with antibodies anti elastase (HLE).The patient had not a history of cocaine abuse or LES disease but the nucleolar pattern ANA was positive >1:640 (anti-nDNA negative). Similar case ANA positive associated with the anti-elastase antibodies, was described by Nassberger (Lancet 1989) for 6/104 patients with LES, anti-nDNA negative. The patient with the highest anti-elastase concentration subsequentely died after very rapid development of severe brain and kidney involvement.