Marisa Wexler, MS, senior science writer —

A majority of rare disease patients using telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic thought the experience positive, and many would like the option of continuing its use in future appointments, a series of surveys found. The surveys were conducted by the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) and involved more than 800…

People with kidney inflammation due to ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) have a high incidence of venous thromboembolism or VTE, a potentially dangerous type of blood clot, a new study shows. However, treatment with statins — cholesterol-lowering medications — may significantly reduce patients’ VTE risk, researchers say. The…

Adding plasma exchange to immune-suppressing treatment does not significantly improve clinical outcomes in people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), a new meta-analysis indicates. The analysis, “The role of plasma exchange in antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis: a meta-analysis,” was published in Clinical Rheumatology. AAV is characterized by…

ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) carries high healthcare costs for therapies and hospitalizations to treat the disease itself and related infections, a study in Italy has found. The study, “Healthcare and economic burden of ANCA-associated vasculitis in Italy: an integrated analysis from clinical and administrative databases,” was published…

Muscle biopsies could be used to diagnose ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), a new study indicates. The finding suggests that such biopsies are most informative in females or in people with certain inflammation-related conditions. The study, “Muscle biopsy in anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody–associated vasculitis: diagnostic yield depends on anti-neutrophil…

Extracellular vesicles, or the tiny membrane-bound particles that are released from cells, could be used as a blood biomarker of disease activity in people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), a new study suggests. The study, “Microparticles expressing myeloperoxidase as potential biomarkers in anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitides…

The complement system, a part of the immune system, is overactive in people with active ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), but achieving remission appears to lower most of its components to normal levels, a study reports. The study, “The alternative complement pathway in ANCA‐associated vasculitis: further evidence…

The presence of detectable ANCA antibodies and B-cells after initial treatment with rituximab — used to induce remission in people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) — predicts a greater risk of relapse, a new study shows. The study, “Proteinase-3-anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (PR3-ANCAs) predict relapses…

The complement system, a component of the immune system, is overactive in people with necrotizing glomerulonephritis, or inflammation in the tiny blood vessels of the kidneys, caused by ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), a study reports. Some complement proteins seem to correlate with more severe kidney disease in these…

Fingolimod (FTY720), a medication used to treat multiple sclerosis, also appears to ease many of the symptoms of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), a new study in rats suggests. The study, “Sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor modulator FTY720 attenuates experimental myeloperoxidase-ANCA vasculitis in a T cell-dependent manner,” was published…