Test Detail

Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA)

Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCAs) are autoantibodies that mistakenly attack proteins within the cytoplasm of healthy white blood cells (neutrophils), leading to inflammation of small blood vessels, a condition called autoimmune vasculitis. The two main types, cANCA and pANCA, target different proteins (proteinase 3 and myeloperoxidase respectively), and an ANCA test helps diagnose specific ANCA-associated vasculitides like Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (GPA) and Microscopic Polyangiitis (MPA), as well as certain types of inflammatory bowel disease.