Vasculitis syndrome

Abstract

The recent development of biologic therapies capable of selectively targeting components of the immune system has revolutionised the treatment of inflammatory arthritides. The increase in use of biologic agents coupled with the expansion in the knowledge of the pathogenesis of vascular inflammation has led to their application in the treatment of primary systemic vasculitis. Biological therapies appear to have a place in the therapeutic strategy for ANCA-associated systemic vasculitides, at least for patients whose disease is refractory to conventional therapy. The use of biologics as targeted therapies has also, in reverse, improved our understanding of the pathophysiology of vascular inflammation. However, the precise indications for TNFalpha inhibitors or anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies have not yet been defined. These biologics must be prescribed extremely cautiously and only in trial settings, especially in view of the adverse effects.