Treatment strategies and outcome of induction-refractory Wegener's granulomatosis or microscopic polyangiitis: analysis of 32 patients with first-line induction-refractory disease in the WEGENT trial.

Objectives: To study the efficacy of rescue treatment strategies and outcomes in patients with Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) and microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) not achieving remission with first-line induction with corticosteroids (CS) and intravenous cyclophosphamide (CYC).

Methods: 159 eligible patients in the Wegener's Granulomatosis-Entretien (WEGENT) trial newly diagnosed with systemic or renal WG or MPA with ≥ 1 poor prognosis factors were included in this prospective study. Rescue treatment strategies and outcomes in patients with induction-refractory disease were analysed and patient characteristics at diagnosis were compared with those of induction-responders.