Table 6. Criteria for treatment response.

A) Complete remission The absence of symptoms or signs attributable to active vasculitis, with a Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score of 0-1 (18). The absence of renal disease activity was indicated by stable or falling creatinine levels and the absence of erythrocyte cell casts. The results of ANCA testing were not used as criteria for remission or partial remission. Persistence proteinuria was not considered indicative of persistence of disease activity.

B) Partial remission Clear-cut suppression of the disease, with improvement or stopping in disease progresion and stabilization of renal function

C) Treatment resistance (1) progressive decline in renal function with the persistence of an active urine sediment, or (2) persistence or new appearance of any extrarenal manifestation of vasculitis despite immunosuppressive therapy

D) Relapse The re-emergence of clinical symptoms attributable to vasculitis or worsening of original manifestations after 4 weeks of complete clinical remission had been achieved or occurrence of at least one of the following: (1) rapid rise in serum creatinine accompanied by an active urine sediment, (2) a renal biopsy demonstrating active necrosis or crescent formation, (3) active vasculitis of respiratory tract (hemoptysis), pulmonary nodules without evidence for infection, (4) active vasculitis of gastrointestinal ‘’tract’’, (5) iritis or uveitis, (6) new mononeuritis multiplex, (7) necrotizing vasculitis identified by biopsy in any tissue