DNA-targeting antibodies may be therapeutic options for AAV

Patrys’ PAT-DX1 and PAT-DX3, two DNA-targeting antibodies known as deoxymabs, can suppress production of the antimicrobial webs implicated in ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) without weakening other immune responses, according to preclinical work. These webs, called neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), are made up of a scaffold of DNA and enzymes…

Having microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) or granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) — the two most common types of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) — better determines patients’ clinical features and outcomes than the type of AAV-driving, self-reactive antibodies they have. That’s according to a study in Spain that showed that GPA was an…

People with the rarest type of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), called eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA), and AAV patients with reduced kidney function are more likely to experience thrombosis (blood clots that disrupt blood flow), according to a single-center study in China. Results also indicated AAV patients with higher…

Undergoing plasma exchange or low-dose glucocorticoid therapy did not affect the risk of relapse in people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), according to a post-hoc analysis of data from a Phase 3 clinical trial. Post-hoc analyses are those specified and performed after a trial is complete. Antibodies against the proteinase…

High blood creatinine levels and results from kidney biopsies at the time of diagnosis were the best predictors of kidney failure risk in people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) with severe kidney disease, a study found. Blood creatinine levels, a marker of kidney damage, and kidney biopsy findings also predicted…

ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) patients receiving a cumulative dose of at least 935 mg of glucocorticoids over six months are more likely to see clinically meaningful side effects, according to a study using calculations based on the Glucocorticoid Toxicity Index (GTI). The findings suggest the GTI, which considers the frequency…

Recruitment is continuing in three countries for a Phase 1b/2a clinical trial testing Alpine Immune Sciences’ povetacicept in adults with autoimmune conditions affecting the kidneys, including ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV). Called RUBY-3 (NCT05732402), the early study is designed to enroll an estimated 56 patients, ages 18 and older,…

Last in a series. Read part one.  In my previous column, I discussed how I plan for international trips with eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA), a type of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV). Planning an international trip takes forethought and an awareness of potential pitfalls. Once you arrive at…

Two blood parameters — interleukin 8 (IL-8) and the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) — may help identify ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) patients with high disease activity and those at risk of poor prognosis, a single center study in China suggests. “IL-18 may be adopted as one of the important biological markers…

Piglet in the Winnie the Pooh series has a famous line: “It is hard to be brave when you’re only a Very Small Animal.” When I was diagnosed in April 2007 with eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA), formerly known as Churg-Strauss syndrome, it wasn’t…