Patricia Inacio, PhD, science writer —

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…

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…