Pathogenesis of ANCA-associated vasculitis: an emerging role for immunometabolism

ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) is a severe systemic autoimmune disease. A key feature of AAV is the presence of Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibodies (ANCA) directed against myeloperoxidase (MPO) or proteinase-3 (PR3). ANCA are key to the pathogenesis of AAV, where they activate innate immune cells to drive inflammation. Pre-activation or 'priming' of immune cells appears to be important for complete cellular activation in AAV. The burgeoning field of immunometabolism has illuminated the governance of immune cell function by distinct metabolic pathways. There is ample evidence that the priming events synonymous with AAV alter immune cell metabolism. In this review we discuss the pathogenesis of AAV and its intersection with recent insights into immune cell metabolism.