News

Lower glucocorticoid dose effective for AAV with kidney issues: Study

A low-dose course of glucocorticoid therapy results in similar outcomes as a higher-dose option in people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) and kidney involvement, though it may lower risk of serious infection, a study reports. “Our findings reinforce the safety and efficacy of reduced [glucocorticoid] as the initial [glucocorticoid] regimen…

AAV patients on BDB-001 achieve remission, cut corticosteroid use

Use of the experimental therapy BDB-001 helps adults with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) achieve at least partial disease remission, while reducing the need for standard glucocorticoids. That’s according to new data from a Phase 1/2 clinical trial conducted in China. Glucocorticoids, also commonly called corticosteroids, are a standard AAV…

Combined diagnostic criteria help classify AAV types in children

Combining two diagnostic systems used to classify cases of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) in adults improved classification performance in a pediatric AAV patient population, according to a study in China. Identifying types of AAV is important to ensure effective clinical care in children, researchers noted. “Considering that distinct clinical…

Less invasive test may help monitor kidney inflammation in AAV

Measuring circulating microRNAs — short RNA molecules that ultimately suppress gene activity — could offer doctors a less invasive way to monitor glomerulonephritis, a type of kidney inflammation, in ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), a study found. However, the study included a small number of patients, and testing microRNAs, or miRNAs,…

Other conditions, processes may mimic CNS involvement in AAV

In ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), the involvement of the central nervous system (CNS), that is, the brain and spinal cord, is uncommon, but other factors may mimic CNS involvement, a study reports. These so-called mimickers can include AAV disease processes not related to the CNS, other conditions, and drug-related adverse…

Certain immunosuppressants linked to better survival after brain bleeds

Treatment with the immunosuppressants cyclophosphamide, azathioprine, or rituximab after ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) patients have experienced a brain bleed, or intracranial hemorrhage, is linked to better survival, according to a review of previously reported cases. “In our pooled analysis, we found that initiating [immunosuppressant] treatment after [brain bleeds] … was…

Transplant failure risk higher for AAV kidney patients, study finds

People with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) affecting the kidneys who receive kidney transplants face higher long-term risks of transplant failure and death compared with those who undergo transplants for other reasons. That’s according to a study from France, which also found that the presence of ANCAs — self-reactive antibodies that…

AAV types found to have distinct but overlapping immune pathways

Note: This story was updated on Aug. 6, 2025, to correct that proteinase 3 (PR3) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) are the enzymes targeted by AAV-causing antibodies. People with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis have elevated levels of certain immune-related proteins in their blood, a new study from Sweden reports. However, different…

Nucala benefits EGPA, but response varies by organ involvement

Long-term treatment with Nucala (mepolizumab) is safe and effective in people with eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA), the rarest type of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), according to a meta-analysis of eight studies. After nearly two years of treatment, more than half of EGPA patients achieved remission, meaning they had…