Polyarteritis Nodosa, a vanishing vasculitis since its main cause has been identified

Frey, Felix Julius (2008). Polyarteritis Nodosa, a vanishing vasculitis since its main cause has been identified. Therapeutische Umschau, 65(5), pp. 247-51. Bern: Huber

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The polyarteritis nodosa is a vasculitis for which the main cause had been identified as hepatitis B, a chronic infectious disease inducing an overshooting immune reaction. Thanks to this discovery, the treatment of polyarteritis nodosa has changed from a symptomatic immunosuppressive therapy to a treatment strategy focusing on the disease inducing infectious agent. Vaccination against hepatitis B- virus has been instrumental in the reduction of the prevalence of polyarteritis nodosa. In case of the rare entity of polyarteritis nodosa without hepatitis B, only a symptomatic immunosuppressive therapy can be prescribed. The history of polyarteritis nodosa clearly illustrates that future research in the field of so called autoimmune diseases should focus on the causes rather than on the immunologic effector mechanisms and/or the symptomatic immunosuppressive therapy.

Item Type:

Journal Article (Further Contribution)

Division/Institute:

04 Faculty of Medicine > Department of Dermatology, Urology, Rheumatology, Nephrology, Osteoporosis (DURN) > Clinic of Nephrology and Hypertension

UniBE Contributor:

Frey, Felix (B)

Subjects:

600 Technology > 610 Medicine & health

ISSN:

0040-5930

ISBN:

18622927

Publisher:

Huber

Language:

German

Submitter:

Factscience Import

Date Deposited:

04 Oct 2013 15:05

Last Modified:

29 Mar 2023 23:33

PubMed ID:

18622927

BORIS DOI:

10.7892/boris.28086

URI:

https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/28086 (FactScience: 116556)

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