Incidence and clinical predictors of infections in patients treated with severe systemic ANCA-associated vasculitis.

Background: Immunosuppressive therapy has improved the outcome of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), but infectious morbidity and mortality remained high. Recognizing its risk factors seems crucial for prevention, aiming to increase survival of these patients.

Methods: We investigated the incidence and types of infections and assessed predictive factors in 132 patients with severe systemic AAV.

[Outcome of patients with lupus nephritis under long-term immunonephrological care].

Introduction: Lupus nephritis is the most severe complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), its development and the effectiveness of immunosuppressive therapy substantially influence patients' quality of life and survival.

Aim: In this retrospective observational investigation, the long term-outcome of patients with lupus nephritis, followed at the St. Margit Hospital Immunonephrological Outpatient Clinic, was evaluated.

Simple, readily available clinical indices predict early and late mortality among patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis.

Background: The early identification of patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) who are at increased risk for inferior clinical outcome at the time of diagnosis might help to optimize the immunosuppressive therapy. In this study we wanted to determine the predictive value of simple clinical characteristics, which may be applicable for early risk-stratification of patients with AAV.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the outcome of 101 consecutive patients with AAV receiving a protocolized immunosuppressive therapy.

Clinical outcomes of ANCA-associated vasculitis in elderly patients.

Background: Older age is independently associated with mortality in patients with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis (AAV). We hypothesized that a reduced-dose immunosuppressive treatment would result in similar effectiveness and comparable treatment-related morbidity in elderly patients as the regular dose in younger patients. We also postulated that the higher baseline comorbidities may contribute to the higher mortality of the elderly subjects.

[Role of plasmapheresis in immunological kidney diseases. Experience from 1050 completed plasmapheresis treatment sessions].

Unlabelled: Plasmapheresis is an effective treatment modality in several immunological kidney diseases. It is also indicated in certain neurological and hematological abnormalities, and some other diseases.

Aims: In this study the indications and outcomes of the plasma exchange treatments performed in the Plasmapheresis Unit of the authors during the last 12 years are summarized, and the findings are compared to those published in the literature.