PANDA-VASC
Research type
Research Study
Full title
PET assessment of disease activity and cardiovascular disease risk in ANCA-associated vasculitis
IRAS ID
354447
Contact name
Neeraj Dhaun
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Edinburgh
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Antineutrophil cytoplasm antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) is a severe autoimmune condition characterised by inflammation of small blood vessels. The condition causes multi-organ dysfunction and, if left untreated, is usually fatal. AAV is difficult to diagnose and the degree of disease activity is challenging to monitor. Current methods of disease activity assessment are either inaccurate (blood tests), invasive (biopsy), or non-specific (imaging). Additionally, though modern treatments are effective, patients with AAV remain at a substantially increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the long-term. There is therefore an urgent need for a tool which is able to reliably identify disease, and assess long-term CVD risk.
Total-Body PET imaging with FDG, DOTATATE, and FAPI radiotracers may provide the answer. This study will recruit patients with active AAV, together with a control group of individuals without the disease, to undergo Total-Body FDG, DOTATATE, and FAPI PET scanning and compare the results with established measures of disease activity and CVD risk assessment.
We believe that Total-Body PET scanning will be capable of accurately identifying AAV disease and those at increased CVD risk. This could enhance our understanding and improve the management of those with the condition.
REC name
East Midlands - Nottingham 2 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/EM/0143
Date of REC Opinion
11 Jul 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion