ANCA-associated vasculitis

A case report published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases describes the experience of a rituximab-treated patient with ANCA-associated vasculitis who developed severe COVID-19.

Current and former cigarette smoking is strongly associated with an increased risk for antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis, researchers report.

The addition of plasma exchange to standard therapy does not reduce the risk for all-cause mortality or end-stage renal disease among patients with severe ANCA-associated vasculitis, suggest findings from the PEXIVAS trial.

Rona Smith talks about the findings from the RITAZAREM trial, showing that maintenance therapy with rituximab reduces relapse rates compared with azathioprine among patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis (2:09).

Patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis who receive maintenance therapy with rituximab are more likely to remain in remission than those given azathioprine, according to the results of the RITAZAREM trial.

The addition of belimumab to maintenance therapy with azathioprine and low-dose glucocorticoids does not improve maintenance of remission among patients with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis, findings from the BREVAS trial suggest.

Mycophenolate mofetil is noninferior to cyclophosphamide for inducing remission among patients with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis, randomized trial data show.

McClure M et al. Nat Rev Rheumatol 2018. doi: 10.1038/s41584-018-0065-x

The authors present a rare case of sporadic chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis in which the patient eventually developed cytoplasmic anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies-associated renal vasculitis and hyperparathyroidism.

Snipaitiene A et al. Pediatr Rheumatol 2018; 16: 49. doi: 10.1186/s12969-018-0267-4

Eric J Gapud and Philip Seo summarize the key milestones in management of severe granulomatosis with polyangiitis, and evaluate the possibility of long-term reduced intensity or drug-free remission for some patients.

A study looking at risk factors for the development of severe infections in patients with antineutrophil cytoplasm antibody-associated vasculitis following rituximab has found that trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole prophylaxis may be of benefit.

Kronbichler A et al. Ann Rheum Dis 2018. doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2017-212861

Terrier B et al. Ann Rheum Dis 2018; Advance online publication. doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2017-212768

Robson J et al. Ann Rheum Dis 2018; Advance online publication. doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2017-212713

Charles P et al. Ann Rheum Dis 2018; Advance online publication. doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2017-212878