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Objective: This study examined the relationship between age at diagnosis and disease characteristics and damage in patients with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV)., Methods: Analysis of a prospective longitudinal cohort of patients with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), microscopic polyangiitis (MPA), and eosinophilic GPA (EGPA) in the Vasculitis Clinical Research Consortium (2013-2021). Disease cohorts were divided by age at diagnosis (years): children (<18), young adults (18-40), middle-aged adults (41-65), and older adults (>65). Data included demographics, ANCA type, clinical characteristics, Vasculitis Damage Index (VDI) scores, ANCA Vasculitis Index of Damage (AVID) scores, and novel disease-specific and non-disease-specific damage scores built from VDI and AVID items., Results: Analysis included data from 1020 patients with GPA/MPA and 357 with EGPA. Female predominance in GPA/MPA decreased with age at diagnosis. AAV in childhood was more often GPA and proteinase 3-ANCA positive. Children with GPA/MPA experienced more subglottic stenosis and alveolar hemorrhage; children and young adults with EGPA experienced more alveolar hemorrhage, need for intubation, and gastrointestinal involvement. Older adults (GPA/MPA) had more neurologic manifestations. After adjusting for disease duration, medications, tobacco, and ANCA, all damage scores increased with age at diagnosis for GPA/MPA (P < 0.001) except the disease-specific damage score, which did not differ (P = 0.44). For EGPA, VDI scores increased with age at diagnosis (P < 0.009), whereas all other scores were not significantly different., Conclusion: Age at diagnosis is associated with clinical characteristics in AAV. Although VDI and AVID scores increase with age at diagnosis, this is driven by non-disease-specific damage items., (© 2023 American College of Rheumatology.)

Objectives: ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) is a group of multisystem diseases that can have several ocular manifestations. There are published data on ocular manifestations of granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), but few for eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) or microscopic polyangiitis (MPA). There is little information concerning chronicity, complications, and association with other cranial manifestations of AAV., Methods: This study retrospectively analysed longitudinal multicentre cohorts of individuals with AAV followed between 2006 and 2022. Data included diagnosis, demographics, cranial manifestations of disease, presence of manifestations at onset of disease and/or follow-up, and ocular complications of disease. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis assessed associations across disease manifestations., Results: Data from 1441 patients were analysed, including 395 with EGPA, 876 with GPA, and 170 with MPA. Ocular manifestations were seen within 23.1% of patients: 39 (9.9%) with EGPA, 287 (32.7%) with GPA, and 12 (7.1%) with MPA at any time in the disease course. There were more ocular manifestations at onset (n = 224) than during follow-up (n = 120). The most common disease-related manifestations were conjunctivitis/episcleritis and scleritis. In multivariable analysis, dacryocystitis, lacrimal duct obstruction, and retro-orbital disease were associated with sinonasal manifestations of GPA; ocular manifestations were associated with hearing loss in MPA. The most common ocular complications and/or damage seen were cataracts (n = 168) and visual impairment (n = 195)., Conclusion: Ocular manifestations occur in all forms of AAV, especially in GPA. Clinicians should be mindful of the wide spectrum of ocular disease in AAV, caused by active vasculitis, disease-associated damage, and toxicities of therapy., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Objective: Little is known about temporal changes in nasal bacteria in granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA). This study was undertaken to examine longitudinal changes in the nasal microbiome in association with relapse in GPA patients., Methods: Bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing was performed on nasal swabs from 19 patients with GPA who were followed up longitudinally for a total of 78 visits, including 9 patients who experienced a relapse and 10 patients who remained in remission. Relative abundance of bacteria and ratios between bacteria were examined. Generalized estimating equation models were used to evaluate the association between bacterial composition and 1) disease activity and 2) levels of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) with specificity for proteinase 3 (PR3), adjusted for medication., Results: Corynebacterium and Staphylococcus were the most abundant bacterial genera across all nasal samples. Patients with quiescent disease maintained a stable ratio of Corynebacterium to Staphylococcus across visits. In contrast, in patients who experienced a relapse, a significantly lower ratio was observed at the visit prior to relapse, followed by a higher ratio at the time of relapse (adjusted P < 0.01). Species-level analysis identified an association between a higher abundance of nasal Corynebacterium tuberculostearicum and 1) relapse (adjusted P = 0.04) and 2) higher PR3-ANCA levels (adjusted P = 0.02)., Conclusion: In GPA, significant changes occur in the nasal microbiome over time and are associated with disease activity. The occurrence of these changes months prior to the onset of relapse supports a pathogenic role of nasal bacteria in GPA. Our results uphold existing hypotheses implicating Staphylococcus as an instigator of disease and have generated a novel finding involving Corynebacterium as a potential mediator of disease in GPA., (© 2021, American College of Rheumatology.)

Objective: Identification of a biomarker for disease activity in eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA; Churg-Strauss) remains an unmet need. This study examined the value of serum periostin, a marker of type 2 inflammation, as a measure of disease activity in patients with EGPA., Methods: Participants enrolled in a multicenter, prospective cohort of patients with EGPA were included in this study if they had disease activity (defined as Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score [BVAS] > 0) during follow-up. Serum levels of periostin were measured at flare visit as well as two pre- and two post-flare visits, if available. The outcome of disease activity was assessed either with BVAS or Physician Global Assessment (PGA). Mixed-effect models were used to examine the association between periostin levels and disease activity. Comparisons were made with a historical cohort of healthy individuals and patients with asthma., Results: In the 49 patients included in the study, the median periostin level was 60 ng/ml (IQR 50 to 73) in all visits and did not significantly change across visits. Multivariate analyses found no association between periostin level and presence or absence of flare according to the BVAS (adjusted OR 1.00 [95% CI 0.98 to 1.02], p = 0.98) but an increase in periostin level was significantly associated with greater disease severity during a flare according to the PGA (adjusted beta-coefficient 0.02 [95% CI 0.004 to 0.03], p = 0.01). Periostin levels in EGPA were significantly higher than previously studied healthy controls and patients with asthma., Conclusion: In EGPA serum periostin level is modestly associated with greater disease severity during a flare but does not discriminate active from inactive disease. Periostin levels in EGPA are higher than in other previously studied cohorts, including healthy populations and patients with asthma, and are relatively stable over time., Competing Interests: CTJH and KW are full-time employees of Genentech Inc. We confirm that CTJH and KW’s employment at Genentech, Inc does not alter our adherence to the journal’s policies on data sharing.

Objectives: Prior studies have suggested a potential link between nasal microbes and granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA; Wegener's), but these studies relied on culture-dependent methods. This study comprehensively examined the entire community of nasal microbiota (bacteria and fungi) in participants with GPA compared with healthy controls using deep sequencing methods., Methods: 16S rRNA and internal transcribed spacer gene sequencing were performed on nasal microbial DNA isolated from nasal swabs of 60 participants with GPA and 41 healthy controls. Alpha and beta diversity were assessed as well as the relative abundance of the most abundant bacterial and fungal taxa. The effects of covariates including disease activity and immunosuppressive therapies on microbial composition were evaluated., Results: Compared with controls, participants with GPA had a significantly different microbial composition (weighted UniFrac p=0.04) and lower relative abundance of Propionibacterium acnes and Staphylococcus epidermidis (for both, false discovery rate-corrected p=0.02). Disease activity in GPA was associated with a lower abundance of fungal order Malasseziales compared with participants with GPA in remission (p=0.04) and controls (p=0.01). Use of non-glucocorticoid immunosuppressive therapy was associated with 'healthy' nasal microbiota while participants with GPA who were off immunosuppressive therapy had more dysbiosis (weighted UniFrac p=0.01). No difference in the relative abundance of Staphylococcus aureus was observed between GPA and controls., Conclusions: GPA is associated with an altered nasal microbial composition, at both the bacterial and fungal levels. Use of immunosuppressive therapies and disease remission are associated with healthy microbial communities., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2018. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)