May 2024

Belimumab Corticosteroid‑Sparing Treatment in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: a Real‑Life Observational Study (BESST)

Rheumatol. Int. 2024 Apr 30:1–7 DOI: 10.1007/s00296-024-05589-2 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38687385/

Belimumab confers an early and sustained corticosteroid-sparing effect after 3 months of treatment in SLE patients. This was demonstrated by a significant prednisone dose reduction that continued through months 6 and 12, and was sustained until month 24.

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April 2024

Cardiovascular risk factors and complications in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus with and without nephritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Lupus Sci Med 2024;11(1):e001152 DOI 10.1136/lupus-2024-001152

Patients with SLE and LN show increased risk of CV risk factors including diabetes mellitus, hypertension and hyperlipidaemia versus patients without nephritis.

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CD19 CAR T-Cell therapy in autoimmune disease - A case series with follow-up

N Engl J Med 2024;390(8):687–700 DOI 10.1056/NEJMoa2308917

In this case series by Müller, et al., eight patients who received a CD19 CAR T-cell infusion achieved Definition of Remission in SLE (DORIS) remission, Lupus Low Disease Activity State and a SLEDAI 2K score of 0 at 6 months post-infusion. Long-term follow-up through 24 months showed that SLE disease activity remained absent
in all eight patients.

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Smith-specific regulatory T cells halt the progression of lupus nephritis

Nat Commun. 2024 Feb 6;15(1):899 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45056-x

Compared with polyclonal mock-transduced regulatory T cells (Tregs), Smith(Sm)-Tregs potently suppress Sm-specific pro-inflammatory responses in vitro and suppress disease progression in a humanised mouse model of lupus nephritis.

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March 2024

Lupus low disease activity state and organ damage in relation to quality of life in systemic lupus erythematosus: A cohort study with up to 11 years of follow-up

Rheumatology 2024 DOI 10.1093/rheumatology/keae120 Epub ahead of print

Patients with a lupus low disease activity state (LLDAS) irrespective of organ damage were significantly more likely to have favourable health-related quality of life, pain, fatigue, and overall health experience.

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TYK2: An emerging therapeutic target in rheumatic disease

Nat Rev Rheumatol 2024;20(4):232–40 DOI 10.1038/s41584-024-01093-w

TYK2 inhibitors hold promise for the treatment of a distinct spectrum of autoimmune diseases, including SLE, and could potentially have a safety profile that differs from other JAK inhibitors.

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