The European Vasculitis Society 2016 Meeting Report

Abstract

The 2016 European Vasculitis Society (EUVAS) meeting, held in Leiden, the Netherlands, was centered around phenotypic subtyping in antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)–associated vasculitis (AAV). There were parallel meetings of the EUVAS petals, which here report on disease assessment; database; and long-term follow-up, registries, genetics, histology, biomarker studies, and clinical trials. Studies currently conducted will improve our ability to discriminate between different forms of vasculitis. In a project that involves the 10-year follow-up of AAV patients, we are working on retrieving data on patient and renal survival, relapse rate, the cumulative incidence of malignancies, and comorbidities. Across Europe, several vasculitis registries were developed covering over 10,000 registered patients. In the near future, these registries will facilitate clinical research in AAV on a scale hitherto unknown. Current studies on the genetic background of AAV will explore the potential prognostic significance of genetic markers and further refine genetic associations with distinct disease subsets. The histopathological classification of ANCA-associated glomerulonephritis is currently evaluated in light of data coming out of a large international validation study. In our continuous search for biomarkers to predict clinical outcome, promising new markers are important subjects of current research. Over the last 2 decades, a host of clinical trials have provided evidence for refinement of therapeutic regimens. We give an overview of clinical trials currently under development, and consider refractory vasculitis in detail. The goal of EUVAS is to stimulate ongoing research in clinical, serological, and histological management and techniques for patients with systemic vasculitis, with an outlook on the applicability for clinical trials.

<p>Efficacy of a recombinant single-chain fragment variable region, VasSF, as a new drug for vasculitis</p>

“…MPO-ANCA binds MPO exposed on the surface of activated neutrophils expressing MPO and moesin. 17,18,[29][30][31]36 AP1 in HDL plays a central role in reverse cholesterol transport to maintain blood vessel function. Moreover, a moesin-like protein, a glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor, binds to HDL/AP1 and specifically promotes cholesterol efflux.…”

“…Blood counts of white blood cells, lymphocytes, monocytes, and granulocytes were measured with a VetScan HMII auto analyzer (ABAXIS, Union City, CA, USA). The serum levels of biomarkers, MPO-ANCA, and anti-moesin antibodies 17,18 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The values of MPO-ANCA titer was shown as the equivalent of the standard mouse MPO-ANCA serum IgG.…”

Clinical characteristics of Polish patients with ANCA-associated vasculitides—retrospective analysis of POLVAS registry

“…We also attempted to identify in these patients poor outcome predictors. As studies on Polish AAV patients were usually limited to one center, including single diagnosis and relatively small number of patients [11,12], we established Scientific Consortium of the Polish Vasculitis Registry (POLVAS) [13][14][15] to increase substantially the number of analyzed subjects.…”

The Added Value of a Vasculitis Clinic in a Tertiary Referral Hospital

“…In addition, our group has been part of the European Vasculitis Study Group (EUVAS); the OMERACT ultrasound LVV subtask force; the task force to develop the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) recommendations for the use of imaging in LVV; and the task force to update the EULAR recommendations for the management of LVV. 6,10 Moreover, we are currently applying for the European reference network RITA (Rare Immunodeficiency, auToinflammatory and Autoimmune diseases).…”