ANCA-associated diseases and lung carcinomas: a five-case series

Microscopic polyangiitis, granulomatosis with polyangiitis, Churg-Strauss syndrome and focal necrotizing glomerulonephritis are severe systemic vasculitides associated with circulating antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA). Several studies reported that some malignancies can develop in these patients during follow-up, but few studies have considered the association and role of pre-existing cancers, at least in a fraction of patients. Herein, we report five patients with ANCA-associated diseases who had associated lung carcinomas or were diagnosed within 2 years after vasculitis onset. We discuss the putative role of tumor antigen in driving the auto-immune response.