Animal models of vasculitis.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Vasculitis describes a wide spectrum of rare, inflammatory, multisystem disorders. These heterogenous diseases all have inflammation of blood vessels as a central feature. However, they differ in terms of their genetic and environmental risk factors, disease pathogenesis, clinical presentations and treatment strategies. Many animal models of vasculitis exist, each resembling a different human clinical phenotype. This review provides an overview of recently published findings from experimental animal models of vasculitis. RECENT FINDINGS: Several new animal models have been described during the review period. New insights gleaned from existing animal models regarding cause, disease effector mechanisms and novel treatments identified in established animal models are discussed. SUMMARY: Animal models continue to be an important tool for understanding disease pathogenesis, especially in rare and complex diseases such as vasculitis. They also provide an invaluable platform for development and preclinical testing of new treatments.