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Levels of rheumatoid factor — an antibody against healthy tissue found in some autoimmune diseases — appear to separate eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) patients into two subtypes with different disease mechanisms, a study suggests. “Subtypes in eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis classified according to rheumatoid…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Pfizer‘s Ruxience (rituximab-pvvr), a biosimilar to Rituxan (rituximab), as a treatment for granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) and microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) — the two most common subtypes of ANCA-associated vasculitis, the company announced. Pfizer also…

Although serum levels of the pro-inflammatory molecule interleukin (IL)-6 do not predict who will achieve complete remission, increases during periods of no disease activity are associated with subsequent severe relapses in patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) on rituximab, according to an exploratory study. The research, “The…

The formation, composition, and structure of antimicrobial traps in ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) patients are markedly different from those with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a study says. The findings of the study, “Neutrophil extracellular trap formation is intrinsically distinct in ANCA‐associated vasculitis and systemic lupus erythematosus,” were published…

Measuring structural features of specialized kidney cells called podocytes could predict short-term proteinuria — excess proteins in urine — in patients with ANCA-associated glomerulonephritis, according to a new study. The research, “Podocytes and Proteinuria in ANCA-Associated Glomerulonephritis: A Case-Control Study,” appeared in the journal Frontiers…

Determining the levels of interleukins in the blood, specifically IL-10 and IL-33, may help identify people with early systemic ANCA-associated vasculitis, and those at risk of kidney damage, a study suggests. The study, “Cytokine profiling in anti neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis: a cross-sectional cohort study,” was published…

A new international consortium based in Paris, and funded largely by the 28-member European Union, intends to speed the diagnosis of rare diseases, while also accelerating the development of treatments for the 95% of such illnesses that currently don’t have one. The European Joint Programme on Rare Diseases (EJP…

Cardiac tamponade, the buildup of fluid in the space surrounding the heart, revealed a case of eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) that was successfully treated with prednisolone and a procedure for removing the fluid, a case report states. The study, “Anti-proteinase 3-positive Eosinophilic Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis Revealed by…

High blood pressure and other cardiovascular risk factors are highly prevalent in people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), and a sizable number — more than one-third — of patients are not properly treated, researchers report. The work, “Prevalence and management of cardiovascular risk factors in ANCA-associated vasculitis,”…

Patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) experience significant increases in serum lipid levels during remission induction, particularly those who are newly diagnosed or have anti-PR3 antibodies, according to new research. The findings also indicated that disease phase and antibody type are associated with differential levels of inflammation and could…