Successful treatment of MPO-ANCA positive crescentic IgA nephropathy/IgA vasculitis with nephritis potentially triggered by a COVID-19 vaccine in a young adult female using corticosteroids, rituximab, and avacopan

An 18-year-old female presented with palpable purpura nine months before her hospital admission, which first appeared 1 month after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine and recurred intermittently. One month prior to admission, she developed macrohematuria, abdominal pain, and a loss of appetite. Occult blood in urine had been noted during high school health check-ups. Upon admission, she continued to have macrohematuria, along with renal dysfunction and a nephritic urinalysis, serum myeloperoxidase-anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (MPO-ANCA) positivity. A renal biopsy revealed crescentic glomerulonephritis with mesangial and endocapillary hypercellularity, and dominant IgA deposition and electron-dense deposits in the mesangial regions. The diagnosis was IgA nephropathy (IgAN) or IgA vasculitis with nephritis (IgAVN), with a possible overlap of MPO-ANCA-associated glomerulonephritis. Treatment began with methylprednisolone pulse therapy and prednisolone. After the diagnosis, rituximab (RTX) and avacopan were added to the regimen. Within two months, renal function, hematuria, and MPO-ANCA levels had normalized, and proteinuria was almost fully resolved by 13 months. If IgAN/IgAVN and ANCA-associated vasculitis were indeed triggered by the COVID-19 vaccination in this case, it is plausible that both conditions share similar pathologic mechanisms. This case emphasizes the need for a reliable laboratory method to detect pathogenic ANCA to guide both induction and maintenance therapy. Further investigation into the effectiveness of the ANCA-associated glomerulonephritis treatment protocol including corticosteroids, RTX, and avacopan in managing crescentic IgAN/IgAVN could offer valuable insights into improving patient care.