Update on the Use of Biologics in Vasculitides

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.

Cite this article as:

Vishwanath Sahana, Relan Manisha, Shen Long and Jr. L. Ambrus Julian, Update on the Use of Biologics in Vasculitides, Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology 2014; 15 (6) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/138920101506140910151126