Abstract

Viruses have long been associated with varying forms of vasculitis in both pre-clinical models and human diseases. Immunopathogenic mechanisms have varied and include direct vascular invasion, immune complex mediated and more recently novel mechanisms which include autoinflammatory like responses. This discussion will review major advances in the field of medical virology as it applies to rheumatic diseases, especially vascular inflammatory disease, including an introduction to the human and more specifically vascular microviromes. Major forms of virally mediated vasculitis will be discussed with an emphasis on new viral vasculitis syndromes largely defined by next generation sequencing and their potential clinical impact.