News

Pulmonary hypertension triples mortality risk in AAV: Study

Developing pulmonary hypertension (PH), which occurs when pressure in the blood vessels that supply the lungs becomes too high, more than triples the mortality risk among people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), a study finds. PH may be relatively more common in AAV patients than understood, occurring in about…

Blood levels of SOD, an antioxidant enzyme, could mark AAV activity

Blood levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), an antioxidant enzyme, are significantly lower in people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) than those without this disease, and poorer outcomes are found in patients with greater reductions, a study reported. Specifically, lower blood SOD levels significantly associated with more inflammation, a greater likelihood…

AAV patients on rituximab respond poorly to COVID-19 vaccination

Nearly three-quarters of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) patients treated with rituximab fail to mount an effective immune response against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, following two doses of vaccines. That’s according to data from the U.K.-based OCTAVE trial, which evaluated immune responses to vaccines in patients with reduced immune…

Central diabetes insipidus more common in AAV patients with GPA

Among people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), those with central diabetes insipidus are more frequently diagnosed with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), a type of AAV, according to a study in China. Central diabetes insipidus, or CDI, is a rare disease characterized by excessive thirst and excessive urine. Patients with…