News

Researchers identify risk factors of lung disease in AAV patients

Older age, being male, smoking history, and having self-reactive antibodies targeting the myeloperoxidase (MPO) protein are significantly associated with a higher risk of interstitial lung disease (ILD) in people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV). That’s according to a review and meta-analysis study, which also showed that certain imaging signs of…

Experts largely agree on which AAV symptoms are granuloma-driven

Physicians experienced in treating ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) generally agree on which disease manifestations are driven by granulomas, or clusters of immune cells, according to a survey study. Such manifestations included masses on the lungs or behind the eye socket, narrowing of the airways below the vocal cords, and…

IgE levels may offer important clues to disease patterns seen in EGPA

In people with eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA), those with skin or heart involvement have significantly higher blood levels of immunoglobulin E (IgE), a type of natural antibody frequently linked to EGPA, a study showed. Testing positive for the self-reactive antibodies ANCAs against the myeloperoxidase (MPO) protein tended to…

Protein may be marker of disease activity, kidney damage in AAV

A protein known as NGAL — fully, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin — appears to be a marker of disease activity and kidney damage severity in people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) who have kidney inflammation, according to new research by scientists in China. The team found that “in active AAV, [blood]…

New clinical trials test NKX019 cell therapy in autoimmune diseases

Two Phase 1/2 clinical trials testing NKX019 — Nkarta’s cell therapy candidate — are now enrolling participants to test a second, higher dose in people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) and other autoimmune conditions. The Ntrust-2 study (NCT06733935) is enrolling up to 144 people with AAV, idiopathic inflammatory…

Researchers identify markers of kidney disease common in AAV

Most people who test positive for ANCAs — the self-reactive antibodies that drive most ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) cases — have pauci-immune glomerulonephritis (GN), a type of inflammation of the kidneys’ filtering units, a study found. A high number of blood-clotting-inducing platelets, high blood levels of the inflammatory marker…

Tavneos combo works as well as steroids for AAV remission

Similar rates of remission and sustained remission were found for people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) given induction treatment with cyclophosphamide and Tavneos (avacopan) in a clinical trial compared with those receiving cyclophosphamide plus the glucocorticoid prednisone. Still, the Tavneos-based treatment regimen appeared to be associated with a lower…