Prognostic factors for hospital mortality and ICU admission in patients with ANCA-related pulmonary vasculitis.

Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate the factors predictive of 28-day mortality and admission to Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in patients with ANCA-related pulmonary vasculitis.

Methods: We reviewed the medical records and imaging studies of 65 patients diagnosed with ANCA-related vasculitis hospitalized with pulmonary complications between February 1985 and November 2002. All patients underwent open or video-assisted thoracoscopic lung biopsy, had a positive ANCA serology, and were negative for glomerular basement membrane antibodies.

Extracellular cysteine/cystine redox potential controls lung fibroblast proliferation and matrix expression through upregulation of transforming growth factor-beta.

Oxidant stress has been implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic lung disorders like idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. However, mechanisms that link oxidant stress to fibrogenesis remain partially elucidated. Emerging data suggest an important role for the extracellular thiol/disulfide redox environment.