To synthesize current evidence on emerging biomarkers and advanced imaging techniques for the diagnosis, assessment of disease activity, prediction of relapse, and monitoring of treatment response in vasculitis, highlighting their significance in clinical practice.
Approach:
Key Findings:
Traditional markers like ESR and CRP lack specificity for guiding treatment decisions in vasculitis, necessitating the need for more reliable alternatives.
Emerging biomarkers include disease-specific autoantibodies, endothelial activation markers, cytokines, and urinary proteins, which may enhance diagnostic accuracy.
Advanced imaging techniques such as 18F-FDG PET/CT, VW-MRI, vascular ultrasound, and MRA enhance visualization of vascular inflammation, potentially improving patient outcomes.
Interpretation:
The integration of novel biomarkers and advanced imaging techniques may improve the accuracy of diagnosis and management of vasculitis, leading to better patient outcomes.
Limitations:
The narrative review format lacks formal inclusion or exclusion criteria, which may affect the breadth and balance of evidence presented and introduce potential biases.
Some biomarkers and imaging modalities are still investigational and not yet suitable for routine clinical application, highlighting the need for further validation.
Conclusion:
The review highlights the potential of integrated biomarker-imaging strategies in enhancing the clinical management of vasculitis and emphasizes the need for further research to validate these approaches.
