ANCA-associated vasculitis

Results from a retrospective analysis suggest that cytomegalovirus seropositivity at ANCA-associated vasculitis diagnosis is an independent risk factor for developing venous thromboembolism.

Sequential treatment with rituximab followed by mepolizumab may be a promising strategy to treat the systemic and respiratory manifestations of eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis, suggest findings from an observational study.

Findings from a phase 2b trial suggest that treatment with the anti-CD52 antibody alemtuzumab may be beneficial for some patients with primary systemic vasculitis and an inadequate response to conventional therapies.

Clinical practice guidelines have been developed to advise on the role of plasma exchange and the optimal dose of glucocorticoids in people with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis.

Plasma exchange is associated with a reduced risk for end-stage renal disease but an increased risk for serious infection in people with anti-neutrophil cytoplasm antibody-associated vasculitis, meta-analysis data show.

An international group of experts has developed and validated classification criteria for eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis, GPA, and microscopic polyangiitis.

A third dose of the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine gives rise to a neutralizing antibody response in the majority of people with ANCA-associated vasculitis, but those treated with rituximab are unlikely to respond, researchers report.

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Researchers have developed a calculator that could help clinicians predict the probability of a seropositive immunogenic response to mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in patients with autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases (AIIRDs) receiving rituximab.

An analysis of data from the COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance and EULAR COVID-19 registries suggests high rates of severe COVID-19 among people with primary systemic vasculitis or polymyalgia rheumatica.

Neurologic and ocular manifestations are common among people with ANCA-associated vasculitis but vary by disease type, show data from the Vasculitis Clinical Research Consortium reported at the ACR Convergence 2021 virtual meeting.

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Among people with immune-mediated diseases, COVID-19 vaccines have greater immunogenicity following the second compared with the first dose, and individuals with prior SARS-CoV-2 infection have robust antibody responses, research suggests.

The American College of Rheumatology and the Vasculitis Foundation have issued joint guidelines for the management of various types of vasculitis.

Background glucocorticoid use and comorbid respiratory disease may be risk factors for developing severe COVID-19 among people with systemic vasculitis, researchers report.

The likelihood of patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis having a relapse increases if they have anti-proteinase 3 ANCA positivity, cardiovascular involvement, or low creatinine levels at diagnosis, shows a meta-analysis.

People with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases treated with rituximab may have a higher risk for developing severe COVID-19 than those given other treatments, researchers report.

Findings from the ADVOCATE trial suggest that patients with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis who are treated with avacopan are more likely to experience sustained remission than those given glucocorticoids.

Peter Merkel talks about ADVOCATE, a phase 3 trial finding comparable rates of remission with avacopan versus prednisone treatment in patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis (8:08).

Long-term maintenance treatment with biannual rituximab infusions increases the likelihood of remaining in remission among people with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis, suggest findings from the MAINRITSAN3 trial.