Author Archives: Margarida Maia PhD

Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), an immunosuppressant, may sustain remission more efficiently than other therapies in ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) patients who have kidney symptoms, a review of clinical trials found. The findings showed that, in clinical trials enrolling only patients with kidney involvement, more than 90% were estimated to maintain…

ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) may be a rare complication of exposure to COVID-19 proteins, either through infection or vaccination, a report covering two women suggests. Both were diagnosed early and improved with supportive care and immunosuppressive therapy, the researchers noted. “This adverse event appears to be a very rare complication…

Immunoadsorption, a procedure that removes specific antibodies from the blood, may speed remission in patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) and serious kidney disease and help more patients attain this outcome, a small study found. The treatment approach also lowered mortality and reduced the risk of kidney failure or death…

Males are not at a greater risk than females of experiencing kidney failure or death due to ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), regardless of the kind of kidney damage they have, a study found. These new findings counter the results of a 2018 study that had reported an increased risk of…

Treatment with tofacitinib is well tolerated and effectively induces remission in people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), while enabling patients to lower their glucocorticoid doses, a small pilot study suggests. These results indicate that tofacitinib may represent a treatment option for active AAV. However, a larger and randomized controlled trial is needed…

A first course of rituximab is sufficient to trigger the development of anti-rituximab antibodies in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) but not in those with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), a study found. The researchers had thought that rituximab might have similar effects in patients with SLE and AAV…

Inflammatory vaginitis — inflammation of the vagina — may develop in women receiving long-term treatment with rituximab for ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) or other autoimmune diseases, a U.S. study says. The findings suggest that “women treated with rituximab should be screened for symptoms such as vaginal discharge and vaginal pain,” its…

Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) is well-tolerated and can be used to induce remission in people with eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA), a type of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), a real-world study shows. Two-thirds of patients with newly diagnosed or relapsing EGPA achieved remission, or had no symptoms appearing for a time,…

Rituximab is safe and effective for inducing remission in two types of ANCA-associated vasculitis in children and adolescents: granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) or microscopic polyangiitis (MPA), according to data from a Phase 2a trial. After one and a half years on the trial, all patients achieved remission, and safety…

A blood parameter called large unstained cell count or LUC – which measures the numbers of certain activated immune cells – appears to associate with higher ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) disease activity, a small study found. These results, when combined with the findings of previous, larger-scale studies, show that “LUC…