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Cerebral vasculitis (sometimes the word angiitis is used instead of "vasculitis") is vasculitis (inflammation of the blood vessel wall) involving the brain and occasionally the spinal cord. [1] It affects all of the vessels: very small blood vessels ( capillaries ), medium-size blood vessels ( arterioles and venules ), or large blood vessels ...
The disease's symptoms can range from catastrophic neurological impairment to an asymptomatic condition brought on by impalpable pulses or bruits. [7] Non-specific features include mild anemia, myalgia, arthralgia, weight loss, malaise, night sweats, and fever. [8] Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is the most common type of systemic vasculitis in adults.
GPA treatment depends on the severity of the disease. [8] Severe disease is typically treated with a combination of immunosuppressive medications such as rituximab or cyclophosphamide and high-dose corticosteroids to control the symptoms of the disease , and azathioprine , methotrexate , or rituximab to keep the disease under control.
ANCA will less commonly form against alternative antigens that may also result in a p-ANCA pattern. These include lactoferrin, elastase, and cathepsin G. [citation needed] When the condition is a vasculitis, the target is usually MPO. [1] However, the proportion of p-ANCA sera with anti-MPO antibodies has been reported to be as low as 12%. [2]
The signs and symptoms of microscopic polyangiitis may resemble those of granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) (another form of small-vessel vasculitis) but typically lacks the significant upper respiratory tract involvement (e.g., sinusitis) frequently seen in people affected by GPA. [citation needed]
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c-ANCAs, or PR3-ANCA, or antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies, are a type of autoantibody, an antibody produced by the body that acts against one of its own proteins. These antibodies show a diffusely granular, cytoplasmic staining pattern under microscopy .
Atypical ANCA is associated with drug-induced systemic vasculitis, inflammatory bowel disease and rheumatoid arthritis. [3] [7] The ANCA-positive rate is much higher in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus than in healthy individuals. [8] Levamisole, which is a common adulterant of cocaine, can cause an ANCA positive vasculitis. [9]