Impaired phagocytosis and reactive oxygen species production in phagocytes is associated with systemic vasculitis

Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies associated vasculitides (AAV) is a group of autoimmune diseases, characterized by small vessel inflammation. Phagocytes such as neutrophils and monocytes are the main effector cells found around the inflamed vessel wall. Therefore, we wanted to investigate aspects of function and activation of these cells in patients with AAV.Flow cytometry was used to evaluate: the expression of activation markers (CD11c,...