Iqra Mumal, MSc,  —

Patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) have fewer adverse events and better quality of life when treated with avacopan over standard therapy, results from two Phase 2 clinical trials show. ChemoCentryx, which is developing the therapy, presented the findings at the 2018 Spring Clinical Meetings of the National Kidney…

A faulty immune system component in patients with active ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) is not equipped to stop ANCA-induced neutrophil activation, leading to kidney damage, a Chinese study shows. The component is called complement factor H. The study, titled “Complement Factor H Inhibits Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Autoantibody-Induced Neutrophil Activation by…

Ear, nose, and throat symptoms in patients with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) are associated with better overall survival and fewer kidney problems, according to researchers. The study, “Ear, nose and throat involvement in granulomatosis with polyangiitis: how it presents and how it determines disease severity and…

Low daily doses of oral prednisone — 2.5 mg/day or less — during long-term remission maintenance therapy was associated with a higher rate of relapse in patients with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) in Japan, a study reports. The study, “Risk Factors for Relapse of Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody-associated Vasculitis in…

A shorter glucocorticoid treatment course, given in combination with Rituxan (rituximab), may be beneficial for some patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis, a study shows. The study, “Reducing glucocorticoid duration in ANCA-associated vasculitis: A pilot trial,” was published in the journal Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism. While modern…

Patients with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) exhibit abnormalities in heart function near the time of diagnosis, a new study shows. Importantly, each AAV subtype had its own pattern of heart abnormalities. The study, “Echocardiographic features in patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis within 3 months before…

The addition of azathioprine, an immunosuppressant, to a glucocorticoid treatment regimen does not improve remission rates for patients with non-severe systemic necrotizing vasculitides (SNVs), a new study shows. The study, “Adding Azathioprine to Remission-Induction Glucocorticoids for Eosinophilic Granulomatosis With Polyangiitis (Churg-Strauss), Microscopic Polyangiitis, or Polyarteritis Nodosa Without…

Patients are more likely to develop anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) that affects their kidneys in the winter months, likely due to environmental factors that promote disease-triggering infections, a study reports. The study, “Seasonal variations in the onset of positive and negative renal ANCA-associated vasculitis in…

The thyroid medication propylthiouracil (PTU) can sometimes cause antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV), but a new study shows the condition has a milder course and excellent remission rates after ending PTU treatment. The study, titled “Clinical characteristics and outcomes of propylthiouracil-induced antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis…

Rituxan (rituximab) is a safe and effective treatment for patients with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) and should be considered in patients that are resistant to standard therapy, a new study shows. The study, “Relapsing granulomatosis with polyangiitis with severe lung and upper respiratory tract involvement successfully…