Blood levels of molecules called soluble immune checkpoints (sICPs) may serve as biomarkers of relapse risk in people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), a study found. Patients with lower levels of these molecules were more likely to relapse after being in remission following treatment with rituximab, but were less likely…
Immune Checkpoint Molecules Linked to Risk of Relapse in AAV
Another week, another doctor’s appointment, another stack of bills. Even my pillbox reflects it — each dosage carefully lined up, disappearing one day at at time, only for me to start the same thing over the following week. It’s an endless cycle. The vasculitis lifestyle is a unique one,…
Symptoms affecting the eyes and ears are significantly more common in adults with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) who developed hypertrophic pachymeningitis (HP), a rare condition marked by brain inflammation, a study from Japan reported. Notably, sudden vision or hearing loss was found in AAV patients with HP, suggesting that eye…
Similar to neutrophils, circulating immune macrophage cells contribute to lung bleeding and damage caused by ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), a study showed. These circulating macrophages were found to have an abnormally activated DNA sensing system — typically used to detect foreign DNA and fight infections — that promotes inflammation. Deleting these macrophages…
A 16-year-old girl developed granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), a type of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV), after being infected with SARS-COV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, according to a recent case report. Hers is the fourth known case of pediatric-onset AAV following COVID-19 infection, suggesting the virus could…
I’ll never forget an irritating incident in Colorado Springs, Colorado, a few years ago. I was touring for my nonprofit, Violin for Vasculitis (now on hiatus due to the complexities of COVID-19). For this project, I would give a public music recital, share the story of my…
Tavneos (avacopan) will soon be available as an add-on treatment for adults in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland with severe, active granulomatosis polyangiitis (GPA) or microscopic polyangiitis (MPA), the two main types of ANCA vasculitis (AAV), following a decision by regulatory authorities. The National Institute for Health and…
Men with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) have a 1.54 times higher risk of dying within one year than female patients, a new study finds. According to authors, “this [finding] may provide a reliable predictor for clinicians to judge the prognosis and select active treatment for patients with AAV.” The report,…
I can feel the ominous darkness gathering. I dread it. Usually, I hold authority over my reactions to emotion. Though sadness and hopelessness aren’t controllable, I’ve developed the tools to mitigate their heaviness. They’re all too common with a vasculitis diagnosis. The ominous dread is my mental state,…
The number of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) cases in Spain more than doubled between 2019 and 2021 following mass-scale vaccination against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, a new study found, suggesting the vaccine as a possible trigger. Researchers suspect the development of ANCA antibodies and AAV could be among…
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