Testing For The Presence Of Specific Self-Reactive Antibodies Linked To ANCA-Associated Vasculitis May Help More Easily Distinguish Microscopic Polyangiitis From Granulomatosis With Polyangiitis, Study Finds

ANCA Vasculitis News (4/9, Maia) reports, “Testing for the presence of specific self-reactive antibodies linked to ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) may help doctors more easily tell microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) from granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), the two most common types of AAV, a study showed.” Investigators found that “classifying patients as MPA or GPA based on the different types of antibodies, called ANCAs, showed a substantial agreement with current classification systems.” Meanwhile, “ANCA specificity was less critical for EGPA, the rarest AAV type.” The findings were published in Clinical Rheumatology.