Patricia Inacio, PhD, science writer —

The presence of atypical ANCA antibodies in people with underlying eye inflammatory disease is not linked to severe vessel inflammation or worse outcomes, a small study reports. The study, “Atypical Perinuclear Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibodies in Ocular Inflammatory Diseases,” was published in the journal Ocular Immunology and Inflammation. ANCA-associated…

A case report of a patient with eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA), with the disease affecting both the heart and lungs, suggests that Rituxan (rituximab) together with corticosteroids might be a successful therapeutic approach. The study, “Eosinophilic Granulomatosis With Polyangiitis and Cardiac Involvement: A Case Report,” appeared in…

Children with eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) have specific disease symptoms that differ from those seen in adults with the disease, a French study shows. Pediatricians should be aware of these differences and the various disease symptoms for a correct and timely diagnosis of EGPA in children, researchers said. The…

Patients with granulomatosis with polyangiitis whose autoantibodies are against the myeloperoxidase protein (MPO) have increased disease activity at diagnosis but milder kidney manifestations than other vasculitis patients. Based on findings from a retrospective analysis, a research team in China proposes that these patients should be considered a unique subtype of…

Patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis using an immunosuppressive therapy may be at risk of late-onset pneumonia caused by opportunistic Pneumocystis jirovecii infection, a new study suggests. The study, “Late-onset Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) in patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis,” was published in the journal Clinical Rheumatology. ANCA-associated vasculitis, or AAV, is characterized…

Men with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) presenting kidney inflammation are more likely than women to progress into end-stage renal disease, according to Norwegian researchers. Their study, “Exploring sex-specific differences in the presentation and outcomes of ANCA-associated vasculitis: a nationwide registry-based cohort study,” was published in the journal…

In patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), the reappearance of ANCA autoantibodies may work as a biomarker for predicting relapse, a new study suggests. Routine monitoring of ANCA antibody levels should be implemented in AAV patients in remission as a means to determine their risk of relapse, according to Japanese…

Patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) who develop pulmonary bleeding as a result of their condition fare significantly better if they receive plasma exchange therapy, a kind of blood purification technique, researchers say. Their study, “Effect of plasma exchange on in-hospital mortality in patients with pulmonary hemorrhage secondary to…

Isotretinoin, a medication used to treat severe acne, may in rare instances lead to ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), according to the case report of a 15-year-old boy. The study, “Perinuclear antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-positive vasculitis, oligoarthritis, tendinitis, and myositis associated with isotretinoin in a 15-year-old boy: Case report and review…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved two automated diagnostic tests that AESKU.Group developed for ANCA-associated vasculitis. AESKU used its HELIOS technology to develop the tests. HELIOS is the only diagnostic tool capable of both processing and analyzing a patient’s blood sample via an immunofluorescence assay (IFA) in a single run, the…