7 Interesting Facts of Vasculitides
1. Microscopic hematuria, typically with dysmorphic red blood cells and red blood cell casts, suggests kidney vasculitis.
2. Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies, or ANCA, are present in 90% of patients with pauci-immune glomerulonephritis, seen in GPA, MPA, and kidney-limited disease.
3. Anti-GBM disease, or Goodpasture’s disease, may occur concurrently with ANCA small-vessel vasculitis.
4. Induction therapy in ANCA vasculitis consists of a combination of corticosteroids and cyclophosphamide or rituximab.
5. In ANCA vasculitis, plasma exchange is currently recommended in addition to corticosteroids, and cyclophosphamide or rituxumab for patients presenting with advanced kidney failure and/or pulmonary hemorrhage .
6. A higher rate of VTE has been reported in ANCA disease, with about 10% of patients developing symptomatic events, particularly at the time of active disease.
7. ANCA patients treated with cyclophosphamide demonstrate an increased risk for non-melanoma skin cancers, bladder cancer, and acute myelogenous leukemia (AML).
