Vasculitis articles from across Nature Portfolio

Gomez-Salinero, Itkin et al. demonstrate the cooperative role of two ETS transcriptor factors, ERG and Fli1, in the active maintenance of endothelial cell homeostatic function. Loss of these two genes in adult mice leads to multi-organ failure, hyperinflammation, systemic thrombosis and death. In vitro, expression of both ERG and FLI1 induces human adult non-vascular mesenchymal stromal cells to acquire endothelial-like properties. In humans, several cardiovascular disorders and inflammatory-related diseases are linked to mutations in both genes.

In this Review, the authors discuss the potential causes of the heterogeneity of COVID-19 and summarize the pathobiology of the disease, with an emphasis on the role of the pulmonary vasculature in the acute stage and the potential for developing chronic pulmonary hypertension.

Maintenance therapy for antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis (AAV) should reduce rates of relapse with minimal toxicity. The MAINRITSAN trial—the first randomized controlled trial to compare the efficacies of rituximab and azathioprine in AAV remission maintenance—has demonstrated a superior outcome using rituximab. These data have important implications for the management of AAV.