Mouse models of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis

Current Pharmaceutical Design
Poh-Yi GanStephen R Holdsworth

Abstract

Inflammation of blood vessels (vasculitis) results from many pathological processes and is found in many different diseases. However, in most situations, the pathological processes inducing vasculitis are unknown. The discovery of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies (ANCAs) in the 1980s opened the door for studies that eventually led to the description of a new previously undescribed disease, ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV). Unravelling the immunopathogenesis of this new disease resulted largely from the development of animal models. The major breakthroughs were the description of ANCA, its association with small vessel vasculitis and the discovery of its target autoantigens (myeloperoxidase and Proteinase 3). Three major disease syndromes comprise the AAVs, microscopic polyangiitis, granulomatosis with polyangiitis and eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA). Recent human studies suggest that proteinase 3 and myeloperoxidase associated vasculitis are two separate but related diseases. The ability to induce murine autoimmunity to myeloperoxidase including ANCA (with the same immune staining patterns as human ANCA) and the capacity of this anti-myeloperoxidase autoimmunity to induce disease with many of the ...Continue Reading

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Anti-inflammatory Treatments

A drug or substance that reduces inflammation (redness, swelling, and pain) in the body. Anti-inflammatory agents block certain substances in the body that cause inflammation and swelling. Discover the latest research on anti-inflammatory treatments here

Autoimmune Diseases

Autoimmune diseases occur as a result of an attack by the immune system on the body’s own tissues resulting in damage and dysfunction. There are different types of autoimmune diseases, in which there is a complex and unknown interaction between genetics and the environment. Discover the latest research on autoimmune diseases here.