of ANCA-associated vasculitides∗

Summary of key findings of the article Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA)-associated vasculitides (AAV) are a group of autoimmune disorders characterized by necrotizing small-vessel vasculitis and frequently affecting the kidneys. The pathogenesis of AAV has not been fully elucidated, but neutrophils play an important role. Kessenbrock et al. start to uncover a novel role of neutrophils in the pathogenesis of AAV, namely, the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) induced by ANCA [1]. NETs are chromatin fibres released by neutrophils. They can kill invading microbes extracellularly [2]. In sepsis, they can also stick to the endothelium and cause vascular damage [3]. Kessenbrock et al. found that ANCA-mediated activation of neutrophils induces the formation of NETs, whic