AGER and anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis: (31) have demonstrated that co-stimulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs, regulators of the immune system) with calgranulin leads to increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines (in a RAGE-dependent manner) in ANCA-associated vasculitides (AAV), a group of systemic autoimmune diseases with specific phenotypes.