News

Levels of a protein called KL-6 are elevated in ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) patients who have interstitial lung diseases, indicating that KL-6 blood levels could be useful for detecting lung disease in these people, a study suggests. The study, “KL-6 in ANCA-Associated Vasculitis Patients with and without…

A third COVID-19 vaccine dose boosts immune responses against the SARS-CoV-2 virus in people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), researchers in Germany report. Antibodies against the virus and the ability to fight off more highly transmissible variants like delta dip over time after the second dose. But…

Classifying pulmonary manifestations in people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) with lung symptoms can help predict disease outcomes and determine which patients should receive more intensive treatment, a study from China suggests. For example, patients showing bleeding into the lungs (alveolar hemorrhage) in their computed tomography (CT) scan of the…

The European Commission has approved Tavneos (avacopan) as an add-on therapy for adults with severe granulomatosis polyangiitis (GPA) or microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) — the two main types of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV). Following the expected launch this year, Tavneos will be the first available oral therapy for…

An appropriate immune response to COVID-19 vaccines among people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treated with rituximab seems to be dependent on the number of B-cells, a study found. The study, “B cell numbers predict humoral and cellular response upon SARS-CoV-2 vaccination among patients…

Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), an immunosuppressant, may sustain remission more efficiently than other therapies in ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) patients who have kidney symptoms, a review of clinical trials found. The findings showed that, in clinical trials enrolling only patients with kidney involvement, more than 90% were estimated to maintain…

ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) may be a rare complication of exposure to COVID-19 proteins, either through infection or vaccination, a report covering two women suggests. Both were diagnosed early and improved with supportive care and immunosuppressive therapy, the researchers noted. “This adverse event appears to be a very rare complication…

People with eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) who carry antibodies against the proteinase 3 (PR3) protein have more frequent relapses and a shorter time to relapse or death than patients without such antibodies, a South Korean study shows. These findings highlight the need to look for the presence of…

Kidney inflammation associated with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) was recently reported in a man following his second dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. While cases of AAV have been described after COVID-19 infection and vaccination, this is only the third case of AAV-related kidney inflammation, with antibodies against the proteinase…

Poor kidney function and worse overall disease severity at diagnosis can predict kidney failure in adults with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), according to a small single-center study in Turkey. In addition, AAV patients with either hypocomplementemia — low levels of complement proteins in the blood — or a five-factor score…