Treatment of ANCA-associated vasculitides (AAV)

Treatment of AAV follows the principle of a combined remission induction and maintenance strategy and is adapted in a stage and activity-adapted fashion. So far the combination therapy of glucocorticoids and conventional immunosuppressive drugs has mainly been used to control disease. This approach has led to a significant improvement in outcome in spite of persistently high early mortality rates of nearly 11% within the first year. Besides conventional treatment, biologics have emerged as a new treatment option. The paper summarizes the current evidence for the use of conventional therapy and biologics in AAV.