Lindsey Shapiro, PhD,  science writer—

Measuring neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) — a type of antimicrobial web produced by immune neutrophil cells — induced by blood samples could be a useful way of monitoring the course of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), a study shows. Compared with blood from people without the disease, blood from AAV patients…

Patients with active ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) can be distinguished from those who are in remission by the presence of different subsets of a type of immune cell known as regulatory T-cells, or Tregs, a new study reported. Reduced functionality of these regulatory immune cells had been previously implicated in…

Half of patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) developed a poor long-term outcome — kidney disease, cancer or death — in the years after their diagnosis, according to a recent study in China. Impaired kidney filtration, low blood potassium, older age, and kidney or heart involvement at diagnosis were among…

Both the form of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) and the specific types of disease-causing antibody a patient has can influence the clinical presentation — the physical signs and symptoms a person experiences — and prognosis of the autoimmune disease, a new study reported. Using a large U.S. database of AAV…

The function of endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs) is impaired in people with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) — a type of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) — who are in disease remission, according to a recent study. Impairments in ECFCs’ ability to repair damaged blood vessels — their normal role — even…

Blood levels of molecules called soluble immune checkpoints (sICPs) may serve as biomarkers of relapse risk in people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), a study found. Patients with lower levels of these molecules were more likely to relapse after being in remission following treatment with rituximab, but were less likely…

Increased insulin resistance — measured by the triglyceride glucose (TyG) index — may predict which people diagnosed with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) are at a greater risk of developing heart problems, a study found. Its predictive power may come from its association with metabolic disease at AAV diagnosis, data showed.

Levels of the immune signaling molecule interleukin-21 (IL-21) and the cells that produce the protein were elevated in the blood of people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) with myeloperoxidase (MPO) antibodies, a study found. IL-21 levels also were linked to higher MPO levels and disease activity, suggesting its direct involvement in…

Despite being in clinical remission based on physician evaluation, many people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) report experiencing ongoing disease symptoms, a study has found. Symptoms of pain and fatigue were the biggest indicators of active disease for patients in the study. These findings highlight the importance of considering…

Limited exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light and related drops in vitamin D levels — particularly over the winter months — may be linked to a greater risk of relapses among people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) in Ireland and the U.K., a data study found. But vitamin D status and…