Ann Rheum Dis (in press) the absence of any other disease, such as infection or 3. Wright GD, Doherty M. Calcium pyrophosphate crystal deposition is not always ‘wear and tear’or aging. Ann Rheum Dis 1997; neoplasia was confirmed. Ceruloplasmin levels were meas-56: 586–588 ured by nephelometry (normal levels 17–37 ng/dl). 4. Bauer FM, Glasson P, Vallotton MB, Courvoisier B. Syndrome Results are expressed as mean±sd. Mean comparations de Bartter, chondrocalcinosis et hypomagnésémie. Schweitz Med between serum ceruloplasmin in ANCA MPO group and Wochenschr 1979; 109: 1251–1256 ANCA PR3 group were done with Student’s t-test. Mean 5. Simon DB, Lifton RP. The molecular basis of inherited hypoka-comparations between serum ceruloplasmin levels in active lemic alkalosis. Bartter’s and Gitelman’s syndromes. Am J Physiol and inactive phase were done with Student’s t-test with 1996; 271: F961–996 sample pairs. A P value< 0.05 was considered to be statistic-6. Smilde TJ, Haverman JF, Schipper P et al. Familial hypokalemia/ally significant. hypomagnesemia and chondrocalcinosis. J Rheumatol 1994; 21: 1515–1519 The mean serum levels of ceruloplasmin in active patients was 45, 14±18 mg/dl (range 23–95 mg/dl) in the p-ANCA anti-MPO group and 41.29±8.14 mg/dl (range 32–52 mg/dl) Ceruloplasmin in small vessel vasculitis in the c-ANCA anti-PR3 group. Eight of 14 patients studied in the first group (57%) and four of seven patients in the second group (57%) had high serum levels of ceruloplasmin Sir, in active phase of vasculitis. The rest of patients had serum ANCA are antibodies directed against neutrophil cytoplasmic enzymes, including proteinase 3 (PR3), myeloperoxi-levels within the normal range. None active patient had low