Title:Update on the Use of Biologics in Vasculitides
Volume: 15
Issue: 6
Author(s): Sahana Vishwanath, Manisha Relan, Long Shen and Julian L. Ambrus Jr.
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Behcet's disease, biologics, takayasu arteritis, vasculitis.granulomatous polyangiitis.
Abstract: Vasculitides are disease in which injury to blood vessels leads to various degrees and types of organ dysfunction.
They are subdivided into different groups dependent on the size of blood vessels involved as well as other particular
clinical features. Therapy is dependent upon the size of the blood vessels involved and the nature of the disease. For medium
and large vessel vasculitides, glucocorticoids, cyclophosphamide, azathioprine and methotrexate have been the
mainstay for induction and maintenance of remission. Because of potential for side effects from standard therapies, various
biologic agents have been evaluated in the treatment of ANCA positive vasculitis (AAV), cryoglobulinemic vasculitis,
Behcet’s disease and Takayasu’s Arteritis (TAK). In this article, we present a review on biologic agents used in various
vasculitides.
