Antibodies to neutrophil cytoplasmic antigens (ANCA) have been found in the serum samples of patients with a number of vasculitides (e.g., Wegener's granulomatosis, small vessel vasculitis, and idiopathic necrotizing and cresentic glomerulonephritis). Although detection of ANCA in serum samples has proven to be useful diagnostically and in selected activity of disease monitoring situations, the pathogenetic role of ANCA in vasculitis remains ill-defined. We sought to determine whether purified ANCA promotes the secretion of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) from isolated human peripheral blood monocytes. P (perinuclear)- and C (cytoplasmic)- ANCA were purified from the serum samples of patients with either Wegener's granulomatosis, small vessel vasculitis, or idiopathic necrotizing and cresentic glomerulonephritis. Human peripheral blood monocytes from healthy subjects were incubated with either C-ANCA immunoglobulin G (IgG), P-ANCA IgG, or nonspecific IgG, and the conditioned media were analyzed for MCP-1 activity. A monocyte chemotaxis assay was utilized to functionally quantify secreted chemotactic activity. Secretion of monocyte chemotactic activity was found to be antibody concentration-dependent and time-dependent, with maximal chemotaxis measured in media collected 24 hours after the addition of either C- or P-ANCA IgG. A specific antibody directed against human MCP-1 largely inhibited monocyte chemotaxis, indicating that MCP-1 is the predominant monocyte chemotactic mediator present in the conditioned medium. An MCP-1 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay further supported the conclusion that P- and C-ANCA IgG can trigger MCP-1 secretion by monocytes. These data indicate that incubation of monocytes with ANCA promotes the dose-dependent release of the chemotactic beta-chemokine MCP-1.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)