View clinical trials related to Cutaneous Vasculitis.
Filter by:The purpose of this study is to collect existing tissue specimens from subjects enrolled in Vasculitis Clinical Research Consortium (VCRC) studies. Analysis of these tissue specimens and linked clinical data collected through VCRC studies may lead to the identification and development of a series of translational research projects. Results of these studies will provide vasculitis researchers with insight into the causes of these diseases and generate new ideas for diagnostic tests and therapies, and will be of great interest to the larger communities of researchers investigating vasculitis and other autoimmune, inflammatory, and vascular diseases.
Cutaneous vasculitis due to vascular deposition of large circulating immune complexes is a disease frequently seen by general practitioners and dermatologists. The clinical symptom is palpable purpura with predilection for the lower legs. In some cases vasculitis also affects systemic organs, such as the kidneys and the intestine. When the immune complexes contain immunoglobulin class A (IgA) and when there is systemic involvement, the disease has been referred to as Henoch Schönlein purpura. When there are no signs of systemic involvement, the disease has been referred to as cutaneous leukocytoclastic angiitis. The investigators hypothesize that palpable purpura with predilection for lower legs is a pathognomonic clinical sign for immune complex vasculitis in both IgA vasculitis and IgA-negative vasculitis, but that only the presence of IgA in immune complexes is likely to be associated with systemic involvement and therefore warrants more extensive diagnostic procedures Vice versa the investigators postulate that the presence of IgG or IgM without IgA in immune complexes excludes systemic involvement The investigators also want to investigate to which of the 2 groups patients with palpable purpura and negative immunofluorescence should be assigned.