PLEX in AAV-GN: insights from the meta-analysis results and impact on remission induction treatment recommendations

The risk of progression to end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) in patients with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) and glomerulonephritis (AAV-GN) remains high. At 5 years of follow-up, 14–25% of patients will evolve to ESKD, suggesting that kidney survival is not optimized in patients with AAV. The addition of plasma exchange (PLEX) to standard remission induction has been the standard of care, particularly in patients with severe renal disease. However, there is still some debate regarding which patients benefit from PLEX. A recently published meta-analysis concluded that the addition of PLEX to standard remission induction in AAV probably reduced the risk of ESKD at 12 months and that PLEX was associated with an estimated absolute risk reduction for ESKD at 12 months of 16.0% for those at high risk or with a serum creatinine >5.7 mg/dl (high certainty of important effects). These findings were interpreted as supportive of offering PLEX to patients with AAV and a high risk of progression to ESKD or requiring dialysis and are making their way into societies recommendations. However, the results of the analysis can be debated. We provide an overview on the meta-analysis as an attempt to guide the audience through how the data were generated, to comment on our interpretation of the results and to explain why we feel uncertainty remains. In addition, we would like to provide insights in two questions that we believe are very relevant to consider when addressing the role of PLEX: the role of kidney biopsy findings in the decision making of whom might benefit from PLEX and the impact of novel treatments (i.e. complement factor 5a inhibitors) in avoiding progression to ESKD at 12 months. The treatment of patients with severe AAV-GN is complex and further studies that include only patients at high risk of progression to ESKD are needed.