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42. Kongress der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Rheumatologie, 28. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Orthopädische Rheumatologie, 24. Wissenschaftliche Jahrestagung der Gesellschaft für Kinder- und Jugendrheumatologie

17.-20. September 2014, Düsseldorf

Farm exposure as a risk factor for the development of granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Wegener’s)

Meeting Abstract

  • Peter Willeke - Universitätsklinikum Münster, Medizinische Klinik D, Sektion Rheumatologie und Klinische Immunologie, Münster
  • Heidemarie Becker - Universitätsklinikum Münster, Medizinische Klinik D, Sektion Rheumatologie und Klinische Immunologie, Münster
  • Armend Limani - Universitätsklinikum Münster, Medizinische Klinik D, Sektion Rheumatologie und Klinische Immunologie, Münster
  • Annett M. Jacobi - Universitätsklinikum Münster, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Innere Medizin D, Rheumatologie und Klinische Immunologie, Münster

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Rheumatologie. Deutsche Gesellschaft für Orthopädische Rheumatologie. Gesellschaft für Kinder- und Jugendrheumatologie. 42. Kongress der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Rheumatologie (DGRh); 28. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Orthopädische Rheumatologie (DGORh); 24. wissenschaftliche Jahrestagung der Gesellschaft für Kinder- und Jugendrheumatologie (GKJR). Düsseldorf, 17.-20.09.2014. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2014. DocVK.19

doi: 10.3205/14dgrh253, urn:nbn:de:0183-14dgrh2530

Published: September 12, 2014

© 2014 Willeke et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.en). You are free: to Share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work, provided the original author and source are credited.


Outline

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Background: To investigate the association of farm exposure and the development of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV).

Methods: One hundred-thirty-four well defined patients with AAV (n= 102 with granulomatosis with polyangiitis /GPA and n=32 with microscopic polyangiitis / MPA) and 102 controls (60 with rheumatoid arthritis and 42 with giant cell arteritis) were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Factors investigated were regular farm exposure including contact to cattle, swine or other farm animals within the recent year before diagnosis of AAV. The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval was calculated. Controls were matched for their distance to our hospital.

Results: Farm exposure was significantly associated with AAV (OR 2.98 [95% CI 1.07-8.39], p<0.05) compared to controls. The association was strong in the subgroup of patients with GPA (OR 3.23 [95% CI 1.12–9.37], p<0.05). There was no significant association of farming in patients with MPA (OR 2.91 [95% CI 0.73-11.58], p> 0.1)

Conclusion: A significant association between farm exposure and GPA has been identified in our cohort in contrast to patients with MPA. This suggests that both entities are distinct and have different triggers for the immune process.