Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) is a rare antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis, characterized by asthma, eosinophilia and granulomatous or vasculitic involvement of several organs. The diagnosis and management of EGPA are often challenging and require an integrated, multidisciplinary approach. Current practice relies on recommendations and guidelines addressing the management of ANCA-associated vasculitis and not specifically developed for EGPA. Here, we present evidence-based, cross-discipline guidelines for the diagnosis and management of EGPA that reflect the substantial advances that have been made in the past few years in understanding the pathogenesis, clinical subphenotypes and differential diagnosis of the disease, as well as the availability of new treatment options. Developed by a panel of European experts on the basis of literature reviews and, where appropriate, expert opinion, the 16 statements and five overarching principles cover the diagnosis and staging, treatment, outcome and follow-up of EGPA. These recommendations are primarily intended to be used by healthcare professionals, pharmaceutical industries and drug regulatory authorities, to guide clinical practice and decision-making in EGPA. These guidelines are not intended to limit access to medications by healthcare agencies, nor to impose a fixed order on medication use. Sections Introduction Methods Recommendations Conclusions

This large series of Italian alcoholics showed a significant increase in total and cancer mortality in comparison with the general population, with female alcoholics reporting higher survival rates.

Background The first 1000 days of life -including pregnancy and the first 2 years after birth- represent a critical window for health interventions. This systematic review aimed to summarize the evidence on the relationship between traffic-related air pollutants exposure in the first 1000 days of life and the development of wheezing and asthma, with a particular focus on windows of exposure. Methods Medline and Embase were searched from January 2000 to May 2020 to retrieve population-based birth-cohort studies, including registries, providing quantitative information on the association between exposure to traffic-related air pollutants during pregnancy or early life, and the risk of developing wheezing and asthma in childhood. Screening and selection of the articles were completed independently by three reviewers. The quality of studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. Results Out of 9681 records retrieved, 26 studies from 21 cohorts were included. The most common traffic-related air pollutant markers were particulate matter (PM) and nitric oxides (NOx). The variability in terms of pollutants, exposure assessment methods, and exposure levels chosen to present the results did not allow a meta-analysis. Exposure to PM and NOx in pregnancy (10 cohorts) was consistently associated with an increased risk of asthma development, while the association with wheezing development was unclear. The second trimester of pregnancy seemed to be particularly critical for asthma risk. As for exposure during early life (15 cohorts), most studies found a positive association between PM (7/10 studies) and NOx (11/13 studies) and the risk of asthma development, while the risk of wheezing development was controversial. The period of postnatal exposure, however, was less precisely defined and a partial overlap between the period of exposure measurement and that of outcome development was present in a consistent number of studies (14 out of 15) raising doubts on the associations found. Conclusions Traffic-related air pollution during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of asthma development among children and adolescents. The relationship between exposure in the first two years of life and the development of wheezing and asthma needs to be confirmed in studies with more precise exposure assessment.

Background and objectives. Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis is extremely rare in children. We report the clinico-pathological features, long-term outcomes, and prognostic factors of a large paediatric cohort of patients with ANCA-associated kidney vasculitis. Design, setting, participants, and measurements. This retrospective study included 85 consecutive patients with kidney biopsy-proven ANCA-associated vasculitis followed at tertiary referral centres in Italy and Canada. Kidney biopsies were categorised as focal, crescentic, sclerotic or mixed following Berden's classification. The prognostic significance of baseline clinical, laboratory and histological findings was analysed with respect to kidney failure or chronic kidney disease (CKD) 3-5/kidney failure. Results. Fifty-three patients had microscopic polyangiitis (62%) and 32 granulomatosis with polyangiitis (38%). Rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis was the most frequent presentation (39%); one third of the patients also had nephrotic-range proteinuria. Kidney biopsies were classified as focal in 21% of the patients, crescentic in 51%, sclerotic in 15% and mixed in 13%. Remission-induction therapies included cyclophosphamide in 78% of cases. Twenty-five patients (29%) reached kidney failure. The median time to kidney failure or last follow-up was 35 months (6-89) in the whole cohort, and 73 months (24-109) among the patients who did not reach this outcome. Cases with sclerotic histology showed significantly shorter kidney survival [HR 11.80 (95% CI 2.49-55.99)] and CKD 3-5-free survival [HR 8.88 (95% CI 2.43-32.48)] as compared with focal/mixed ones. Baseline eGFR, low serum albumin, hypertension, central nervous system complications and sclerotic histology, which reflected severe kidney involvement, were associated with both kidney failure or CKD stage 3-5/kidney failure at unadjusted analysis; no independent prognostic factors emerged at multivariate analysis. Conclusions. Children with ANCA-associated kidney vasculitis often have aggressive presentation; one-third of them progress to kidney failure and usually do so early during the follow-up. A severe renal presentation is associated with the development of CKD or kidney failure.