Set of clinical red flags identified as checklist for possible EGPA

Set of clinical red flags identified as checklist for possible EGPA

Researchers have identified a set of clinical red flags that could help detect eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA), the rarest type of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV). Among the red flags are specific high-level thresholds of eosinophils, a type of immune cell, combined with other signs including asthma, nasal polyps,…

1 in 10 ANCA-positive people with lung disease develop AAV

About 1 in 10 people with idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (IIP), a condition marked by lung scarring of an unknown cause, who test positive for antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies, or ANCAs, eventually develop ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), a study shows. These patients’ risk factors for AAV include testing positive for ANCAs against…

NorthStar to sponsor sweeping AAV research program to improve care

NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes will sponsor an investigator-initiated research program focusing on the use of radioisotopes in diagnosing and treating ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), among other program goals. A radioisotope, or radioactive isotope, is an unstable form of a chemical element that releases radiation to return to a more stable…

Eye symptoms linked to AAV most common in GPA patients: Study

Eye symptoms related to ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) are most common among those with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), affecting more than one-third of these patients, a new study from China showed. “These insights collectively underscore the importance of consistent ocular [eye-related] assessments for AAV patients, enabling the monitoring of disease…

Tavneos found safe, effective for AAV patients in real-world study

Adding Tavneos (avacopan) to standard maintenance treatment safely and effectively promotes disease remission in ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) patients, according to a real-world study involving five German centers. In fact, remission rates after one year of Tavneos treatment were higher than those reported in the Phase 3 ADVOCATE…

New B-cell growth is impaired in AAV, study finds

The production of new B-cells, a type of immune cell that helps fight infections but is also involved in the abnormal immune attacks that drive ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), is dysfunctional in people with the autoimmune disease, a study found. The findings could help shed light on the biological underpinnings…

Kidney failure risk factors ID’d in children with AAV kidney disease

While it’s rare in children, ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV)-related glomerulonephritis, that is, an inflammation of the glomeruli, the kidneys’ filtering units, is associated with high rates of kidney failure or death, a study shows. Also, scar tissue accumulating in the glomeruli, other kidney tissue abnormalities, and high protein levels in…

Asthma drug may trigger rare ANCA-associated vasculitis

Treatment with the asthma medication montelukast may trigger eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA), the rarest type of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), a case-based review study suggests. The study, “Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis and its association with montelukast: a case-based review,” was published in Clinical Rheumatology. AAV is a…