Anti-glomerular basement membrane disease developing 3 years after the development of Sweet syndrome and 1 year after the development of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis: a case report

Abstract

A 73-year-old Japanese woman, with a history of Sweet syndrome diagnosed 3 years earlier and anti-myeloperoxidase (MPO) antibody anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis diagnosed 1 year earlier, presented with an episode of rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (RPGN) with anti-glomerular basement membrane (GBM) disease. At the time of diagnosis of the ANCA-associated vasculitis 1 year earlier, serological testing yielded a negative result for anti-GBM antibody. However, at the present visit, serology for anti-MPO antibody was negative, while that for anti-GBM antibody was positive. This is the first report of anti-GBM disease developing sequentially after Sweet syndrome and ANCA-associated vasculitis. This case may provide clues to the potential immunological links among these three distinct conditions.

Keywords: Anti-glomerular basement membrane (GBM) disease; Antibody anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis; Myeloperoxidase (MPO); Sweet syndrome.