Steroid-sparing strategy for the treatment of vasculitis associated with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies

Abstract

Glucocorticoids (GC) and immunosuppressants (IS) are traditional treatments for vasculitis associated with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA), often resulting in the development of infections, diabetes mellitus and other adverse events (AEs). The development of a steroid-sparing strategy using biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs, including rituximab, etc.) and synthetic targeted drugs (avacopan) has radically improved the course of the disease. Currently, there are increasing number of basic and clinical trials of numerous bDMARDs that effectively reduce the number of AEs associated with GC and IS. The steroid-sparing therapeutic strategy not only shows considerable efficacy, but also opens up new perspectives for the treatment of patients with ANCA-associated systemic vasculitis.