Measuring the number of immune T-cells in urine could be used to help identify kidney damage in people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), a new study suggests. These urinary T-cells also may aid in predicting treatment responses and the risk of future disease relapse. “Their promising potential as noninvasive…

Measuring the blood levels of a protein called BAFF could help predict the chances of remission after induction treatment with rituximab in people with ANCA vasculitis (AAV), according to a new study. Determining the BAFF levels in the blood also could guide further care for AAV patients, the researchers…

Levels of five small RNA molecules were found to be highly elevated in extracellular vesicles — small packets of cellular cargo — found in the urine of people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), a new study reports. These preliminary findings indicate the impairment of these RNA molecules might be linked…

Blood levels of progranulin — a protein involved in cell development, cell growth, and wound healing — may predict the severity of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), a new observational study suggests. According to researchers, serum progranulin, or the protein’s levels in the bloodstream, “could be used as a predictive marker…

Vasculitis UK has awarded a total of £200,000 (about $283,000) in four grants to research projects mostly focused on the development of new therapeutic approaches and biomarkers for ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) and other vasculitis. All grants, each about £50,000 (about $70,800), were given to researchers at academic institutions…

Levels of the chitinase-3-like 1 (YKL-40) protein in the blood may serve as a helpful biomarker of disease activity in people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), findings from a new study suggest. Yet, additional studies are needed to validate the results and elucidate the role of YKL-40 in AAV, the…

Measuring the level of C-reactive protein monomer (mCRP) — a protein that increases in response to tissue damage and inflammation — may help identify those ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) patients who have cardiovascular disease, a recent study found.  The study, “The plasma level of…

High blood levels of FCRL5 — a protein mainly found in certain B-cells, a type of immune cell — are linked with a greater likelihood of achieving and maintaining a complete response to rituximab in people with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) and microscopic polyangiitis (MPA),…

The 20S-proteasome — the core of an enzyme complex responsible for eliminating unnecessary or damaged proteins in cells — may be a useful biomarker of disease activity in people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), a study shows. The study, “Serum 20S proteasome levels are associated with…

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) — DNA specific to mitochondria, the cell’s powerhouses — may be used as a urinary biomarker of kidney damage in people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), according to a Chinese study. The study, “Urinary mitochondrial DNA is a useful biomarker for assessing kidney injury…