Patricia Inacio, PhD, science writer —

Nearly one-fifth of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) patients in Japan have osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH), a condition marked by the disruption of blood flow to the head of the femur, or thigh bone, a study showed. In most cases, the hip joints already collapsed or were at risk…

Tavneos (avacopan) has been approved in Australia as an add-on oral therapy for adults with two main types of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV): microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) and granulomatosis polyangiitis (GPA). The approval from Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration specifically covers the use of Tavneos in combination with rituximab or…

Adding a low dose of cyclophosphamide to rituximab for remission induction was safe and more effective at preventing relapses in the first two years in people with severe ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) than rituximab alone, a new study shows. No significant benefit was observed in the combination treatment after five years.

Vasculitis UK is supporting a team of scientists investigating whether rising levels of inflammation due to aging — a process dubbed inflammageing — may be at the root of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV). The charity has awarded a research grant to professors at Trinity College Dublin, in…

Surgical removal of an inflammatory lung lesion led to remission of granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) — a type of ANCA-associated vasculitis — in a 77-year-old woman in Japan, without the use of immunosuppressive therapy, a case report describes. In cases of GPA without severe lesions, a “reevaluation of the…

A combination of lab tests commonly used to diagnose ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) may be able to accurately predict the long-term prognosis of patients and maybe select those needing more aggressive treatment, according to a 15-year study in China. The study, “Long-Term Prognostic Factors in Patients With Antineutrophil…

A woman developed a rare case of acute kidney failure linked to ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) following her first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, according to a report. This case adds to previous reports suggesting that COVID-19 vaccines may, in rare instances, promote the development or exacerbation of autoimmune…

People with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) may, in rare cases, develop dilated cardiomyopathy, a condition that causes the heart’s chambers to enlarge and become thinner, making it harder for it to pump blood effectively to the rest of the body, a recent case report shows. This case highlights the…

A biopsy of heart muscle may aid in the diagnosis of eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) with cardiac involvement in patients negative for antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCAs) and with a negative skin biopsy, a case study suggests. The study, “Endomyocardial biopsy facilitates diagnosis of…

A recent case report highlights the difficulties that can occur in diagnosing granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), a form of ANCA-associated vasculitis, after a patient was initially diagnosed and treated for tuberculosis. The male patient had a mass in the mediastinum — the space between the lungs — initially attributed…