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

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.

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.

The patient numbers in the development datasets ranged from 107 to 578, while the comparator groups – involving people with other forms of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis and other small- and medium-vessel vasculitidies – included between 408 and 652 patients.

This announcement is based on data from the phase 3 ADVOCATE trial , which evaluated the efficacy of avacopan in combination with standard therapy regimens in patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis.

medwireNews : The US FDA has approved avacopan , an orally-administered inhibitor of the complement 5a (C5a) receptor, as an add-on treatment option for severe antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

In this review, the theoretical background for use of dual B cell-targeted immunotherapy in anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis is presented and discussed [ read more ]. McClure M et al. Nat Rev Rheumatol 2018. doi: 10.1038/s41584-018-0065-x

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

A meta-analysis has highlighted the cardiovascular risk faced by patients with vasculitis associated with the presence of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies.