José Lopes, PhD, managing science editor —

Real-world use of MabThera (rituximab) as an induction treatment for patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) on low-dose prednisone led to successful complete remission rates that matched those seen in a key clinical trial, according to a study. However, the investigators believe that the increasing number of relapses after treatment…

ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) diagnoses increased and overall and renal survival improved over a period of 23 years, a real-world study in the U.K regions of Lancashire and South Cumbria reports. These improved outcomes may be due to earlier diagnosis and better management of AAV and chronic kidney disease in recent…

A significant proportion of patients who test positive for antibodies associated with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) do not have the disease, according to a study. Its findings also suggested that a higher threshold of these antibodies could be used to improve diagnosis of the condition, since people with higher levels…

Glomerular filtration rate (GFR), a kidney function marker, and the presence of atrophy in the kidney’s tubules predict renal survival in ANCA vasculitis patients with the sclerotic class of glomerulonephritis…

Patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) carrying specific variants of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) gene NR3C1 have a greater risk of death and of developing end-stage renal disease, according to a large study. Also, patients with a variant of the gene coding for an enzyme that regulates glucocorticoids —…

Plasma exchange — a procedure that removes plasma from the blood and replaces it with a donor-derived substitute — does not lessen a risk of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) or death in patients with severe ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), data from a Phase 3 trial show. Trial findings, however, appear to…

A new classification system of types of glomerular lesions in the kidney enables better prediction of renal function and survival in patients with ANCA-associated glomerulonephritis, according to a nationwide study in Japan. The research, “Histopathological classification of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated glomerulonephritis in a nationwide Japanese prospective…

An individually tailored treatment with Rituxan (rituximab) is as effective as the standard fixed-schedule regimen in preventing relapses over 28 months in ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) patients in remission. The data also indicated that the less frequent infusions in the tailored approach may improve safety, according to a…

Patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) with elevated SDMA — a pro-inflammatory molecule — in their blood have a greater risk of kidney failure or death, according to researchers. Their research, “Higher levels of SDMA and not ADMA are associated with poorer survival of trial patients with systemic ANCA-associated…

The U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared two assays to be used in the diagnosis of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), according to PerkinElmer. Specifically, the FDA cleared the EUROPLUS Granulocyte Mosaic and the EUROIMMUN ANCA IFA — also referred to as EUROIMMUN IFA Granulocyte assays — to be…