News

Rare Inflammatory Disorder of Brain Meninges Linked to MPO-positive AAV

A rare case of inflammatory disease affecting the protective membrane of the central nervous system was linked to anti-myeloperoxidase (MPO) autoantibodies in a case report. The Japanese study, “A case of suspected MPO-ANCA-related hypertrophic pachymeningitis with atypical presentation,” was published in the Journal of Family and…

Patient with GPA and Ocular Symptoms Successfully Treated with Rituximab in Case Report

A case report of a patient with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) along with ocular involvement suggests that Rituxan (rituximab) might be successful for people who don’t respond to prednisolone and cyclophosphamide. The study, “Peripheral Ulcerative Keratitis Associated with Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis Emerging Despite Cyclophosphamide, Successfully Treated with Rituximab,”…

Researchers Identify New Molecule That Leads to Kidney Damage in AAV Patients

Researchers have identified a fat molecule that contributes to kidney damage in patients with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis, or AAV. The molecule, sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P), works to enhance the damaging effects of MPO autoantibodies, one of the two most common disease-causing antibodies produced by AAV patients. The study, “…