A combination of rituximab (sold as Rituxan and biosimilars) and low-dose glucocorticoids may safely stabilize interstitial lung disease (ILD) related to ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), according to a small proof-of-concept study by researchers in Italy. After a year of this therapeutic regimen, the study’s participants saw a significant reduction…
Tavneos (avacopan) plus a short course of glucocorticoids is as effective as glucocorticoids alone for treating rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (RPGN), a severe kidney disease, in adults with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), a study reports. “At month 6, patients receiving [Tavneos] and transient or low doses of GCs [glucocorticoids] have…
Four proteins in the kidneys likely contribute to the development of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), and may be used as diagnostic markers and targets of potential therapies, a study found. The proteins — PDK4, PPARGC1A, FN1, and PSMB10 — are “novel biomarkers that may refine our understanding and management of AAV,”…
A low-dose course of glucocorticoid therapy results in similar outcomes as a higher-dose option in people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) and kidney involvement, though it may lower risk of serious infection, a study reports. “Our findings reinforce the safety and efficacy of reduced [glucocorticoid] as the initial [glucocorticoid] regimen…
Combining two diagnostic systems used to classify cases of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) in adults improved classification performance in a pediatric AAV patient population, according to a study in China. Identifying types of AAV is important to ensure effective clinical care in children, researchers noted. “Considering that distinct clinical…
Alivedx’s Mosaiq Aiplex vasculitis assay, a platform test for the two main self-reactive antibodies that drive most cases of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), is now available for clinical use in the European Union (EU). The test is also able to detect self-reactive antibodies linked to another autoimmune condition marked…
In ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), the involvement of the central nervous system (CNS), that is, the brain and spinal cord, is uncommon, but other factors may mimic CNS involvement, a study reports. These so-called mimickers can include AAV disease processes not related to the CNS, other conditions, and drug-related adverse…
Note: This story was updated on Aug. 6, 2025, to correct that proteinase 3 (PR3) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) are the enzymes targeted by AAV-causing antibodies. People with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis have elevated levels of certain immune-related proteins in their blood, a new study from Sweden reports. However, different…
Ratios of different kinds of blood cells, reflecting inflammation and immune activity, may be a cheap and efficient tool to aid in the diagnosis of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), and in predicting disease activity, a new study from China reports. “While not standalone diagnostic tools, these markers offer valuable support…
The most common neurological symptoms of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) among patients in a single center in Columbia — regardless of disease type — were headache and objective signs of damage to nerves outside the brain and spinal cord, a study showed. That said, the researchers found a vast array…
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