Patricia Inacio, PhD, science writer —

Nearly three-quarters of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) patients treated with rituximab fail to mount an effective immune response against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, following two doses of vaccines. That’s according to data from the U.K.-based OCTAVE trial, which evaluated immune responses to vaccines in patients with reduced immune…

Smoking at any time during one’s lifetime leads to more advanced disease and worse prognosis for people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), according to a 32-year study in Poland. Specifically, current or past smoking is linked to higher disease activity at diagnosis, and a greater need for kidney replacement and…

Despite high response rates to treatment strategies to reduce ear, nose, and throat involvement in ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), relapses are common, a review study reports. The study, “Systemic and Local Medical or Surgical Therapies for Ear, Nose and/or Throat Manifestations in ANCA-Associated Vasculitis: A Systematic Literature Review,” was…

Researchers have proposed a new cut-off value for blood levels of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCAs) to improve the accuracy of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) diagnosis. Using this cut-off value, researchers could accurately distinguish AAV from other diseases also characterized by inflammation and damage to small blood vessels. “This study provides a…

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…