News

Lower levels of key immune system regulators in the kidneys of  ANCA vasculitis patients may indicate more severe renal injury, according to a new study from China. The study, “Complement regulatory proteins in kidneys of patients with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis,” appeared in the journal…

A signaling molecule produced by a type of immune T-cell plays a key role in the development of the kidney inflammation glomerulonephritis, an Australian study reports. The molecule is interleukin-17, or IL-17. The cell that generates it is the gamma-delta (γδ) type of T-cell. And the kidney condition is myeloperoxidase (MPO) anti-neutrophil…

Certain types of patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis do not require maintenance therapy if treated with a specific Rituxan (rituximab) approach, according to researchers at the University of Turin in Italy who followed patients for up to 11 years. The study, albeit small, might clear up some confusion about the…

Dutch scientists have identified different genes in Staphylococcus aureus — a kind of bacteria carried in the nostrils — in either patients with PR3-ANCA vasculitis or with MPO-ANCA-positive vasculitis. The results suggest that the genes they found are relevant in causing and prolonging the disease. The study, “Genetic loci…

A retrospective study has investigated the central nervous system’s (CNS) involvement in granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) in a group of Greek patients. The study found that CNS involvement does not affect long-term patient outcomes. ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) refers to a group of rare diseases characterized by inflammatory cell infiltration and…

A review about the anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) glomerulonephritis and vasculitis outlined the best way to characterize the different kinds of ANCA-associated disease in order to provide better treatment. The review, “ANCA Glomerulonephritis and Vasculitis,” was published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society…

Low levels of adenosine-regulating cell surface proteins on T-cells of patients with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis may contribute to autoimmunity, a new study suggests. The study, “Changes in CD73, CD39 and CD26 expression on T-lymphocytes of ANCA-associated vasculitis patients suggest impairment in adenosine generation and turn-over,”…

Increases in the Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score (BVAS) may work as an independent risk predictor for cardiovascular  disease (CVD)-related deaths in ANCA-associated vasculitis, a single-center study from China found. The study, “The BVAS is an independent predictor of cardiovascular events and cardiovascular disease-related mortality in patients with…

Doctors involved in treating children with antineutrophil cytpolasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) have revealed the unmet need for evidence-based treatment guidelines that improve the management and outcomes of their patients, a new international survey revealed. The study, “Clinical practice variation and need for pediatric-specific treatment guidelines among rheumatologists…

International collaboration on research into rare diseases like antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis is fundamental to improving the health and lives of patients, a new study suggests. The review, titled “The importance of international collaboration for rare diseases research: a European perspective,” was published in the journal…