TY - JOUR T1 - Acetylcysteine as Adjuvant Therapy for Vasculitis Associated with Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody JF - The Journal of Rheumatology JO - J Rheumatol SP - 785 LP - 785 DO - 10.3899/jrheum.101159 VL - 38 IS - 4 AU - FRANCISCO JOSÉ FERNÁNDEZ-FERNÁNDEZ AU - PASCUAL SESMA Y1 - 2011/04/01 UR - http://www.jrheum.org/content/38/4/785.abstract N2 - To the Editor:Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis, including Wegener’s granulomatosis (WG) and microscopic polyangiitis, is a multisystem autoimmune disorder characterized by vasculitis predominantly affecting microscopic vessels and circulating autoantibodies to neutrophil cytoplasmic antigens. Treatment of this vasculitis has 2 main components, induction of remission and maintenance immunosuppressive therapy to prevent relapse. Recently, new treatments have been used, such as rituximab1,2,3, although the combination of cyclophosphamide and glucocorticoids is the preferred regimen as initial immunosuppressive therapy. Once remission is induced with cyclophosphamide, patients are switched to maintenance treatment with less toxic immunosuppressive drugs, usually methotrexate or azathioprine. … Address correspondence to Dr. Fernández-Fernández; E-mail: fjf-fernandez{at}terra.es ER -