AAV Emerges in Boy Using Levamisole to Treat Kidney Disease

AAV Emerges in Boy Using Levamisole to Treat Kidney Disease

ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) emerged as a side effect of levamisole given for years to treat a 15-year-old boy with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome, according to a case report. “By reporting this case, we want to raise awareness among clinicians regarding a rare complication of treatment with Levamisole that is often…

Man Develops AAV Following Blood Stem Cell Transplant: Case Study

A 65-year-old man developed granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), a type of anti-neutrophilic cytoplasmic autoantibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV), after receiving a stem cell transplant for another autoimmune condition, according to a case report. “[Our] case report suggests that [AAV] may develop in the setting of stem cell transplantation and must…

EGPA Patient and Doctor Differences in Disease Reporting Noted

People with eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) are more likely to report a greater range of symptoms than their doctors, a study that drew on patient- and physician-reported databases found, while showing similarities on other points, like relapse frequency. Given the importance of the patient perspective in both research and…

Case of GPA With High Urine Protein Is Unusual

A man with granulomatosis with polyangiitis — a type of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) — and abnormally raised urine protein levels, a sign of kidney disease, has been described in a recent case report. Notably, urine protein levels usually are not significantly elevated in people with granulomatosis…

Subtype of B-cells Linked to Kidney Disease in AAV, Study Discovers

A subtype of antibody-producing B-cells was significantly higher in the bloodstream of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) patients with active kidney involvement compared with those who were in remission and healthy individuals. These findings may help monitor disease progression, as well as provide insights into AAV development, the researchers noted. The…

AAV Patients With Skin Lesions May Be ANCA-Negative, Study Finds

Many ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) patients with skin lesions test negative for ANCA antibodies — proteins produced by the immune system that bind to white blood cells called neutrophils, ultimately triggering an autoimmune reaction. As a result, researchers contend that ANCA testing should not be used as the only criteria…

Salsa Dancing Offered an Unexpected Boost to My Health

One evening last week, I reluctantly agreed to meet a friend at a dance studio. I had no intention of joining in. Me — a salsa dancer? Don’t be ridiculous! I’m a former soccer player with minimal dancing experience who often trips down the stairs. Confident that I could enter…

Lung, ENT Involvement, Steroid Use Reduced With Tavneos: ADVOCATE

Tavneos (avacopan) reduced respiratory, ear, nose, and throat (ENT) involvement among people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), but did not significantly outperform prednisone in its ability to do so, according to a substudy of the larger Phase 3 ADVOCATE trial. The treatment also significantly lowered patients’ reliance on glucocorticoid…