As People With Vasculitis Get Older, They Acquire Blood Cell Mutations That May Cause Inflammation

Description

Clonal hematopoiesis is a term to describe a process where healthy individuals acquire genetic mutations in their blood cells later in life. Cells that carry these mutations promote inflammation, which increases risk of death due to cardiovascular disease. Results from this study show that people with vasculitis, a life-threatening disease defined by severe inflammation of the blood vessels, experience clonal hematopoiesis at a higher rate than healthy controls of the same age and that these mutations are associated with worsened clinical outcomes.

What is exciting about this article?

Genetic mutations acquired later in life may cause inflammation in older people. Results from this study show that people with vasculitis, particularly older adults, have a high number of acquired mutations in their blood cells. These mutations can affect the function of blood cells and contribute to inflammation. Identifying populations of mutant blood cells in people with autoimmune or autoinflammatory diseases may lead to a better understanding of factors that cause these diseases, and targeting these cells may offer better treatment strategies for affected individuals.

Grant support

1ZIAAR041204