Iqra Mumal, MSc,  —

Low blood levels of C3 protein at time of diagnosis are associated with poorer outcomes in patients with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV), a Croatian study shows. The study, “Serum C3 complement levels in ANCA associated vasculitis at diagnosis is a predictor of patient and renal…

RIPK1 inhibitors may one day treat patients with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-induced vasculitis (AAV), a new study finds. The study, “Necroptosis controls NET generation and mediates complement activation, endothelial damage, and autoimmune vasculitis,” appeared in the journal PNAS. AAV is characterized by circulating antibodies (ANCA) against…

Dr. Ronald J. Falk, chair of the department of medicine at the University of North Carolina and director of the UNC Kidney Center, was honored with the John P. Peters Award by the recent American Society of Nephrology (ASN) for his outstanding contributions to both research and patient care in kidney disease.

Members of the U.K.-based European Vasculitis Society (EUVAS) have accepted recently published recommendations for the management of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV). However, EUVAS clinicians don’t necessarily agree with the recommendations’ suggestion to use Rituxan (rituximab) to treat patients who have eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA). The study, “Validation…

About a fifth of ANCA-associated vasculitis patients have an eye disorder known as inflammatory ocular disease, a Mayo Clinic study shows. The research, published in the journal Rheumatology, was titled “Clinical characteristics of inflammatory ocular disease in anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody associated vasculitis: a retrospective cohort study.” ANCA-associated vasculitis, or AAV, affects…

The protein TIMP1 is a promising biomarker of ANCA-associated vasculitis activity, according to a Japanese study that also identified markers of the disease’s damage to the kidneys and lungs. Altogether, the researchers identified nine proteins that could be suitable biomarkers. Researchers published their work in the journal Arthritis Research…

Low levels of adenosine-regulating cell surface proteins on T-cells of patients with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis may contribute to autoimmunity, a new study suggests. The study, “Changes in CD73, CD39 and CD26 expression on T-lymphocytes of ANCA-associated vasculitis patients suggest impairment in adenosine generation and turn-over,”…

International collaboration on research into rare diseases like antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis is fundamental to improving the health and lives of patients, a new study suggests. The review, titled “The importance of international collaboration for rare diseases research: a European perspective,” was published in the journal…

Patients with eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA, or Churg-Strauss syndrome) who receive scheduled Rituxan (rituximab) therapy have lower relapse rates than those who are given Rituxan only during a relapse, a new study shows. The study titled, “Scheduled rituximab maintenance reduces relapse rate in eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis,” was…