Glucocorticoid Dosing and Outcomes in ANCA-Associated Vasculitis With Kidney Involvement

There may be reservations about the guideline-recommended use of reduced glucocorticoid (GC) therapy in severe ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV). We examined differences in outcomes based on oral GC use during induction therapy for AAV with kidney involvement.

We conducted a single-center, retrospective cohort study (2010-2023) of patients with biopsy-proven kidney involvement from AAV. Patients were divided into eras 2020 onward (reduced-GC) versus pre-2020 (standard-GC) according to practice shift after adopting a reduced-GC regimen. The primary outcome was the composite of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) or death within 12 months postbiopsy. Secondary outcomes included serious infection, clinical remission, and change in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR).

There were 138 participants (mean age: 65.2 years, 46.4% female, 68.1% anti-myeloperoxidase), comprising 41 in the reduced-GC era and 97in the standard-GC era. The former group was older (70.3 vs 63.1 years) and had worse baseline kidney function (eGFR: 15.6 vs 22.6 ml/min). The reduction of cumulative GC for reduced-GC compared with the standard-GC era was 39% in the first month, 28% in the first 3 months, and 34% in the first 6 months. For reduced-GC compared with standard-GC era, there was no significant difference in ESKD or death (24.4% vs. 21.6%), serious infection (14.6% vs. 17.5%), or remission (63.4% vs. 63.9%); and both groups showed similar improvement in eGFR over 12 months.

Reduced-GC during induction therapy in individuals with organ-threatening kidney involvement was not associated with a change in outcomes or kidney function recovery. This supports data from a large, randomized trial.