Circulating markers of vascular injury and angiogenesis in antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis

Abstract

Many markers of vascular injury and angiogenesis are elevated in severe active AAV and decline with treatment, but MMP-3 appears to distinguish active AAV from remission better than the other markers studied. Further study of MMP-3 is warranted to determine its clinical utility in combination with conventional markers of inflammation and ANCA titers.