Author(s)

Johanna Kegel, Torsten Kirsch

Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, Centre for Internal Medicine, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.

Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitides are characterized by destruction of small vessels, granulomatous inflammation of the respiratory tract and necrotizing glomerulonephritis. This review describes the clinical diagnosis and therapy as well as the patho-physiology of ANCA-associated vasculitides with a specific focus on the interplay of ANCAs with activated neutrophils and the deleterious pathophysiological consequences of neutrophil-endothelium interaction.

Vasculitis, Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibodies, Neutrophils

Kegel, J. and Kirsch, T. (2014) ANCA-Associated Vasculitides—An Update. Health, 6, 1767-1779. doi: 10.4236/health.2014.614209.