A biopsy of heart muscle may aid in the diagnosis of eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) with cardiac involvement in patients negative for antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCAs) and with a negative skin biopsy, a case study suggests. The study, “Endomyocardial biopsy facilitates diagnosis of…
A Russian military plane crash near Tetiana Zamorska’s home in Kyiv, Ukraine, was a sign that it was time for her and her family to leave. The treacherous, 34-hour pilgrimage that ultimately brought the group of eight by car to temporary accommodations in neighboring Poland last month was physically and emotionally difficult,…
From honoring healthcare professionals and scientists to spotlighting “patient heroes,” activities are underway for this year’s Vasculitis Awareness Month, dubbed #VAM2022. VAM is observed each May to bring attention to the rare autoimmune disorder and all its forms, as well as the people it affects. International Vasculitis Day is also…
Levels of five small RNA molecules were found to be highly elevated in extracellular vesicles — small packets of cellular cargo — found in the urine of people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), a new study reports. These preliminary findings indicate the impairment of these RNA molecules might be linked…
Health Canada has approved the oral medicine Tavneos (avacopan) as an add-on therapy to treat adults with severe ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV). The approval specifically covers the use of Tavneos to treat granulomatosis polyangiitis (GPA) and microscopic polyangiitis (MPA), the two main types of AAV, in combination with…
Risk factors for cardiovascular diseases — those related to the heart and blood vessels — are common in people with ANCA-associated vasculitis and lupus nephritis, an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in the kidneys, according to a study in Singapore. The study, “Cardiovascular risk assessment in lupus nephritis…
The European Commission is expected to propose a new governing framework for health data next month, called the European Health Data Space (EHDS), with the aim of connecting national health systems to facilitate secure and efficient transfer of data across systems in different European nations. The move is expected to…
Prolonged low levels of immunoglobulin antibodies as a result of rituximab treatment did not increase the likelihood of serious infections in children with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) or microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) — the two most common forms of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV). This was according to a post-hoc analysis of…
A recent case report highlights the difficulties that can occur in diagnosing granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), a form of ANCA-associated vasculitis, after a patient was initially diagnosed and treated for tuberculosis. The male patient had a mass in the mediastinum — the space between the lungs — initially attributed…
The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) has updated its State Report Card to make it more digitally friendly and added telehealth to its categories of rare disease policy issues in a nod to its increased use during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. NORD’s report card project began seven…
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