Steve Bryson, PhD,  science writer—

People newly diagnosed with microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) — a type of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) — already considered to be more severe by two established measures are a higher risk of death, a study of patient registry data from Japan reports. The severity of MPA, one of the three main…

About one-quarter of adults with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) in which their lungs are affected have small airway disease (SAD), which targets the tiny airways in the lungs, according to a study in China. Younger age, the presence of clumps of inflammatory cells called granulomas in the lungs, and other…

In rare cases, ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) can result in muscle weakness that affects mainly the trunk and the muscles closest to the trunk due to blood vessel inflammation within the muscles, a study shows. Comprehensive tests of four AAV patients with this distinct clinical feature show that muscle symptoms…

Nearly all ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) patients undergoing a bronchoscopy — a minimally invasive procedure to examine the lungs and air passages — at disease onset show lung involvement, a study reported. Bleeding from the alveoli, the tiny air sacs in the lungs where gases are exchanged, also was the most…

The ANCA Renal Risk Score (ARRS) — based on kidney biopsy and lab results — could accurately predict kidney failure in a large group of Scottish people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), a study shows. The test better discriminates the risk of kidney failure in AAV and may offer clinicians…

Two years of treatment with Nucala (mepolizumab) safely and effectively reduces signs and symptoms of hard-to-treat eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA), the rarest form of ANCA-associated vasculitis. That’s according to a real-world study in Italy that also found similar outcomes with benralizumab, a therapy that works similarly to…

Urine levels of scarring, inflammation, and kidney damage biomarkers accurately reflect kidney biopsy results and predict kidney outcomes in people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), a pilot study suggests. According to its researchers, noninvasive urine tests could be used to monitor tissue or functional changes in the kidneys. Also, urinary…

The incidence of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) in southern Sweden was stable over a 23-year period, while its prevalence, the total number of cases overall, increased, a study showed. Stable incidence, or the same number of new cases per year, with a higher prevalence “might indicate better management and treatment…

A specific variant in both copies of the gene that codes for proteinase 3 (PR3) — one of the most common targets of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV)-driving antibodies — is linked to a nearly five times higher risk of severe relapse in people with PR3-associated AAV, a study found. While…

The European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) has updated its recommendations on managing ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) based on new research and clinical data. Four overarching principles were introduced — the importance of patient-physician joint decisions, disease education, routine screening for treatment side effects and additional medical conditions,…