ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Nephrol.
Sec. Glomerular disease
Volume 5 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fneph.2025.1599316
ANCA-Related Vasculitis Incidence and Features before and during the Covid-19 pandemic in Los Angeles, Biobio Province Chile: An observational retrospective analysis
Provisionally accepted- 1Victor Rios Ruiz Complex, Los Ángeles, Chile
- 2Laboratorio Inmunocel, Santiago, Chile
- 3Universidad San Sebastian, Concepción, Chile
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Introduction: Renal vasculitis is a rare disease whose incidence increased markedly during the COVID-19 pandemic in our center. The aim of this study is to compare the incidence and their clinical and histopathological characteristics of ANCA-associated vasculitis patients before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A single-center observational retrospective analysis of 61 ANCA-associated vasculitis patients who were divided into two groups according to date of diagnosis, pre-pandemic from 2008-2020 (n=37) and during the pandemic 2020 to middle 2022 (n=24). Annual incidence rate was compared along and characteristics such as age, gender, BVAS score, renal clinic, organs involvement and ANCA serotype. Biopsy findings such as optical microscopy glomerular characteristics, crescents, interstitium, immunofluorescence and electron microscopy findings were analysed. Mortality and renal replacement therapy needs were also compared. Results: Annual incidence rate was higher in the pandemic group compared to pre-pandemic group being 9.6 cases per year versus 3.1 cases per year (IRR=3.11 95%CI 1.86 to 5.20). No mayor differences between groups were found among clinical characteristics except a greater hemoptysis frequency in pandemic. Significant differences in immunofluorescence and electronic microscopy were observed, with a higher IgG deposit and C3 in the pandemic group (37.5% vs 8.1%, p=0.0064; 43.5% vs 10.8%, p=0.009 respectively) whereas pauci immune was higher in the pre pandemic group (81.1% vs 54.1%, p=0.016). Mortality and need of renal replacement therapy were significant higher in the pandemic group (Incidence Rate Ratio of 3.56, CI 95% 1.27-9.98 and 4.24, CI 95% 2.08-8.65 respectively) Conclusion: The incidence of ANCA vasculitis increased during the COVID-19 pandemic and was associated in this group with higher rates of IgG deposit and C3 in the immunofluorescence, and associated with higher rates of deaths and dialysis compared with the pre-pandemic group.
Keywords: Dr. Enos: Study design, biopsy performed, manuscript redaction, literature review, critical analysis, and final approval. Dr. Hernandez: Patient care, manuscript checking, and final approval. Dr. Mendez: Checking and reporting the biopsy samples
Received: 24 Mar 2025; Accepted: 14 May 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Enos Brito, Hernandez, Méndez, Caceres, Bravo, Jobet, Castro, Cornejo, Vega and Salazar. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Daniel Enos Brito, Victor Rios Ruiz Complex, Los Ángeles, Chile
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