Margarida Maia, PhD, science writer —

Higher blood levels of soluble interleukin 7 receptor subunit alpha (sIL-7R alpha) — a portion of a receptor protein involved in inflammation — significantly associate with lower disease activity in people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), a small study found. These preliminary findings suggest that the soluble receptor protein “can…

An elderly woman was diagnosed with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) after having an ischemic stroke, a condition wherein a blood clot cuts off blood supply to a part of the brain, a case study reported. It’s rare that AAV manifests in the central nervous system, which is made up of…

Monocytes, a type of white blood cell, that carry a protein called CD206 are found at abnormally high levels in the blood of people with active ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), a study has found. This held true even when researchers compared people with AAV who had glomerulonephritis, a condition in…

A reinforced pneumonia (pneumococcal) vaccination scheme, where one of the two vaccine types available is given at higher doses than usual, appears to be safe and may help people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) who are on rituximab to build better immunity against pneumococcal disease. These are the findings of…

Poorer kidney function and relatively high doses of the corticosteroid prednisolone — possibly indicating active disease — can increase the risk of severe COVID-19 for people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), a Swedish study suggests. “Our findings highlight risks and suggest that more attention should be given to optimal AAV treatment in…

The buildup of immune molecules in the kidneys of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) patients appears to be linked to some symptoms and signs of kidney disease, but not severe ones, and it cannot predict how kidney disease will progress, a study reported. No significant differences in end-stage kidney disease was seen…

Treatment with rituximab helps most adults, ages 75 and older, with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) achieve and maintain disease remission, a French study found. However, a higher rate of serious infections and deaths were reported when rituximab was used as an induction therapy, in combination with high doses of glucocorticoids,…

Excess of a particular amino acid, or protein building block, in the blood may make neutrophils — a type of white blood cell that first responds to an infection or injury — more reactive in ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) and large-vessel vasculitis, a study has found. The amino acid, called…

People with eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) are more likely to report a greater range of symptoms than their doctors, a study that drew on patient- and physician-reported databases found, while showing similarities on other points, like relapse frequency. Given the importance of the patient perspective in both research and…

Risk factors for cardiovascular diseases — those related to the heart and blood vessels — are common in people with ANCA-associated vasculitis and lupus nephritis, an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in the kidneys, according to a study in Singapore. The study, “Cardiovascular risk assessment in lupus nephritis…