VASCULITIS
DJ Williamson
Western Australian Department of Health
CLASSIFICATION
Primary vasculitis
Secondary vasculitis
CLASSIFICATION
PRESENTATIONS
AGE AT ONSET
Young Middle-age Old
Henoch-Schönlein
purpura
Granulomatosis with polyangiitis Giant cell arteritis
Takayasu arteritis (female) Microscopic polyangiitis
Behçet disease Eosinophilic granulomatosis with
polyangiitis
Kawasaki disease Polyarteritis nodosa
Cogan syndrome Hypersensitivity vasculitis
Eales’ disease
SYSTEMIC
Fever
Weight loss
Malaise
Sweats
Myalgia
Arthralgia
OCULAR
Orbital pseudo-tumour
Episcleritis
Scleritis
Uveitis
Retinal vasculitis
Anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy
Diplopia
SKIN & NAILS
Palpable purpura
Livedo reticularis
Digital infarcts
Splinter haemorrhages
Erythema nodosum
RENAL
Pauci-immune glomerulonephritis
Hypertension
(Testicular pain)
AIRWAYS
Sinusitis
Upper airway
Pulmonary infiltrates
Diffuse alveolar haemorrhage
semanticscholar.org
VASCULAR EVENT
Stroke
Retinal vascular occlusion
Mesenteric infarction
Mononeuropathy
PROBLEMS
Multi-organ
Rapidly progressive
Life-threatening
Difficult to diagnose
DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSES
Infection (Hepatitis, HIV, Syphilis, IE, TB,
Weil’s)
Atherosclerosis (Cholesterol embolism)
Thromboembolism (APS, TTP)
Connective tissue diseases (IgG4 disease)
Drugs (Cocaine, Hydralazine)
Malignancy
Careful history, including drugs
Screen for infection (including TB)
Serology for CTDs (ANA, ENA, C’)
PATHOGENESIS
PATHOGENESIS
Neutrophils have a central role
C5a receptor inhibition
DIAGNOSIS
Standardised clinical assessment
Laboratory results
Imaging
Biopsy
Cornec et al (2016) Nature Rev Rheum
p-ANCA: perinuclear staining pattern (MPO)
c-ANCA: cytoplasmic staining pattern (PR3)
Atypical: other staining pattern (Other)
Recommended to check both indirect immunofluorescence and ELISA, at least initially
p-ANCA: MPA, EPGA > GPA IBD, PSC, RA, SLE
c-ANCA: GPA > MPA > EPGA
Atypical: PBC, PSC, RA, SLE
Atypical autoantibodies directed against elastase in cocaine-induced midline destructive disease
DISEASE ASSOCIATIONS
ANCA GPA MPA EGPA
cANCA (PR3) 80% 40% 10%
pANCA (MPO) 15% 50% 60%
Negative 5% 10% 30%
ANCA specificity predicts pattern of organ involvement
False Positives common in infections such as tuberculosis, malaria and leprosy
PATTERNS
MPA
Middle age
Kidneys
Systemic
Skin
Lungs
Patient with AAV Mouse + anti-MPO
Xiao, Hu, Falk, Jennette (2015)
GPA
Middle age
ENT
Lungs
Kidneys
EGPA
Long prodrome, steroid reduction
Asthma
Eosinophilia
Pulmonary infiltrates
POLYARTERITIS NODOSA
Treat HBV or HCV if present
Prognosis worse if old
Prognosis worse if cardiac, GI, renal
disease
Often one episode but 5y relapse is 25%
Necrotising vasculitis of
medium-sized arterioles
Renal microaneurysms
IGA VASCULITIS (HSP)
Child or teenager
Palpable purpura
Arthralgia
Abdominal pain (intussusception)
Hypertension
Haematuria (nephrotic syndrome)
Early relapse
Granular IgA and C3 in walls
of small blood vessels
Fibrinoid necrosis
Palpable purpura
BEHÇET DISEASE
More severe in young males
Recurrent mucocutaneous ulceration
Inflammatory eye disease
Asymmetric non-erosive polyarthritis
Arterial and venous disease
Pathergy
No diagnostic test
TAKAYASU ARTERITIS
~ 20% of vasculitis in India
Young women
Lower abdominal aorta
Renovascular hypertension
‘Pulseless disease’
Imaging for diagnosis
Imaging for monitoring (?)
Vascular intervention and AVR
Indian Takayasu Clinical Activity Score
Mandal et al (2015) Ind J Rheumatol
Angiography
CT Angiography
Doppler Ultrasound
GCA
Elderly
Headache
Diplopia
Visual loss
Polymyalgia rheumatica
Halo sign: disappears with Rx
‘Gold standard’ but often negative in large vessel disea
GIANT CELL ARTERITIS
TREATMENT
• Prednisolone
• Urgent high doses (~1 mg/kg) if temporal arteritis
• Monitor with symptoms and ESR/CRP
• Significant side effects in ~80%
• Wean over months
• ‘Steroid-sparing’ drugs
• Some evidence for Methotrexate but not strong
• Only ~ 20% remain in remission with steroids
alone
• Biologics
• TNF blockers not effective
• Anti-IL-6 (Tocilizumab) recently approved
• Bone protection
• Bisphosphonates, calcium and vitamin D
Steroids
Steroid-sparing drugs
Biologics
Bone protection
ANCA-ASSOCIATED VASCULITIS
80% one year mortality without treatment
Induce remission with minimal toxicity
Maintain remission and minimise damage
REMISSION INDUCTION
• Cyclophosphamide
• IV Pulses 15 mg/kg over ~ 3 months
• Reduced dose compared to oral induction
• Counselling
• Prednisolone
• IV Pulses of Methylprednisolone 1 g/d x3
• Oral Prednisolone 1 mg/kg tapering over ~ 3
months
• Plasma exchange
• Severe renal failure
• Anti-CD20 MAb (Rituximab/Mabthera)
• Infusion 375 mg /week x4
• Alternative to Cyclophosphamide (eg if PR3
ANCA)
Regime depends on severity
REMISSION MAINTENANCE
• Azathioprine
• 2 mg/kg/d
• Check TPMT levels if available (?)
• Prednisolone
• 10-15 mg/d
• Significant adverse effects
• Anti-CD20 MAb (Rituximab/Mabthera)
• Remission induction after relapse & maintenance
• Preferable to more Cyclophosphamide / Azathioprine
• Risk of hypogammaglobulinemia
• Methotrexate
• More likely to relapse
• Greater requirement for steroids
• Can be continued if used for induction
• Avoid with Bactrim (sometimes used for nasal
disease)
Relapse in 70% over 10 years
More common if PR3 ANCA
Eliminate Staph aureus from nose
MONITORING
Inflammatory markers ?
Autoantibodies ?
Novel biomarkers ??
Composite disease activity scores ?
Composite damage indices ?
Imaging ??
CO-MORBIDITIES
• Infection
• PJP prophylaxis while on Cyclophosphamide
• Latent TB reactivation
• Immunization
• Cardiovascular
• Vascular risk factors
• Hypertension
• Renal impairment
• RRT and transplantation
• Metabolic
• Osteoporosis
• Diabetes
• Cancer
• Urothelial cancer if exposed to Cyclophosphamide
• Lymphoma and skin cancer
Now major cause of morbidity & mortality
EGPA
• Improved remission induction
• Increased time to first relapse
• Reduced steroid use
Anti-interleukin 5 mAb
biozentrum.uni-wuerzburg.de
EGPA
• Improved remission induction
• Increased time to first relapse
• Reduced steroid use
Anti-interleukin 5 mAb
biozentrum.uni-wuerzburg.de
SUMMARY

Vasculitis presentation final