ANCA-positive vasculitis as a secondary autoimmune disease after autologous stem cell transplantation for systemic...

Autologous stem cell transplantation (SCT) is increasingly used to treat autoimmune diseases (AD), in particular systemic sclerosis (SSc). Secondary autoimmune diseases are a known complication after autologous stem cell transplantations for any cause. A 43-year-old man had received an autologous stem cell transplantation for an aggressive diffuse cutaneous SSc. After mobilisation with cyclophosphamide and Granulocyte-Colony-Stimulating Factor stem cells were CD34-selected. The patient received a conditioning regimen with cyclophosphamide and Antithymocyte globulin. He had an excellent response with the modified Rodnan Skin Score decreasing from 34 to 3. One year and 4 months after SCT mild erythrocyturia without acanthocytes and proteinuria were seen for the first time on routine urinalysis. During the following year erythrocyturia increased to 131 erythrocytes /μl and protein excretion to 628 mg/g creatinine. At that time, acanthocytes of 25% finally could be detected. Due to the clearly nephritic constellation in urinalysis a renal biopsy was performed, which revealed mild global and focal-segmental sclerosing and focal-segmental proliferative glomerulonephritis without any signs of a IgA-nephropathy. The result was compatible with a renal manifestation of a small-vessel vasculitis. During the following laboratory workup ANCA of a perinuclear pattern with specificity for myeloperoxidase in high titers could be detected. Therefore the diagnosis of a p-ANCA-positive glomerulonephritis was established. As treatment, the patient received Rituximab, which turned out to be effective. We provide the first report of a patient who developed a p-ANCA-associated vasculitis after autologous stem cell transplantation for an autoimmune disease, namely systemic sclerosis.