ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) is a group of autoimmune disorders that involve inflammation of the blood vessels. It is characterized by the presence of antibodies called antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA). AAV can affect small, medium, and large blood vessels throughout the body, and it can cause a range of symptoms depending on which organs are affected.

Background

ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) is a group of autoimmune disorders that involve inflammation of the blood vessels. It is characterized by the presence of antibodies called antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA). AAV can affect small, medium, and large blood vessels throughout the body, and it can cause a range of symptoms depending on which organs are affected.

There are several types of AAV, including granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA, formerly known as Wegener's granulomatosis), microscopic polyangiitis (MPA), and eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA, formerly known as Churg-Strauss syndrome). AAV can affect people of any age, but it is most common in people over the age of 50.

Symptoms of AAV may include fever, weight loss, fatigue, shortness of breath, skin rash, and numbness or weakness in the arms or legs. It can also cause inflammation in the kidneys, lungs, and other organs. It is typically treated with high-dose steroids and other immunosuppressive medications.

Aims

The first aim of this project was to develop and validate methods to identify people with ANCA-associated vasculitis from hospital episode statistics (hospital administrative records) for the whole of England.

The second aim was to describe the incidence, prevalence of ANCA-associated vasculitis in England, and their health service usage, as well as to investigate the impact of age, sex, socioeconomic deprivation, ethnicity and geographical location on these.

The third aim was to describe the steroid usage in everyone in England with ANCA-associated vasculitis.