Publications
Find coverage of the latest original articles on Lupus, focusing on those with data on therapeutic interventions and those that have clinical impact.
This activity is supported by an educational grant from AstraZeneca.
October 2023
Repeat Kidney Biopsy Findings of Lupus Nephritis Patients in Clinical Remission Treated with Mycophenolate Associated with Belimumab or Mycophenolate Plus Standard of Care Therapy. A “Post-hoc" Analysis of Participants in the BLISS-LN and Open Label Extension Study Belonging to a Single Center
doi: 10.1177/09612033231204070 Epub ahead of print
Single-centre study concludes that adding belimumab to the standard of care treatment with mycophenolate (MMF) increases the possibility of achieving a complete clinical response (CCR), complete histological response (CHR), and a lower rate of relapses during treatment and long follow-up.
September 2023
Preclinical Evidence for the Glucocorticoid-Sparing Potential of a Dual Toll-Like Receptor 7/8 Inhibitor in Autoimmune Diseases
J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2023 doi: 10.1124/jpet.123.001744 Epub ahead of print
Preclinical evidence indicates a glucocorticoid (GC)-sparing potential for toll-like receptor (TLR)7/8 inhibitor compounds, suggesting TLR7/8i may offer a new strategy for the treatment of autoimmune diseases.
August 2023
Effect of Belimumab on Kidney-related Outcomes in Patients with Lupus Nephritis: Post Hoc Subgroup Analyses of the Phase 3 BLISS-LN Trial
Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2023;38(12):2733–42 doi: 10.1093/ndt/gfad167 Epub ahead of print.
These data highlight the consistent benefit of belimumab versus placebo, combined with standard therapy, on kidney outcomes in both newly diagnosed and relapsed patients, and regardless of the use of GC pulses at induction.
SGLT2 Inhibitors Alleviated Podocyte Damage in Lupus Nephritis by Decreasing Inflammation and Enhancing Autophagy
Ann Rheum Dis. 2023 DOI: 10.1136/ard-2023-224242
Data revealed a renoprotective effect of SGLT2 inhibitors by reducing proteinuria and preserving renal function in the murine MRL/lpr lupus model.
Safety and Efficacy of Long-term Voclosporin Treatment for Lupus Nephritis in the Phase 3 AURORA 2 Clinical Trial
Arthritis Rheumatol. 2023;76(1):59–67 DOI: 10.1002/art.42657
AURORA 2 demonstrated the safety and tolerability of continued administration of voclosporin over 3 years of treatment in patients with LN.
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September 2023
Health Related Quality of Life, Remission and Low Lupus Disease Activity State in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Rheumatology (Oxford). 2023 doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/kead407 Epub ahead of print
One of the first studies to investigate associations between disease activity and QoL, using validated generic and disease-specific PRO questionnaires, found that DORIS remission and LLDAS were associated with significant and clinically relevant higher QoL in most PRO domains of the LupusPRO (disease specific) and SF-36 (generic) questionnaires, but not with LupusQoL and SLEQOL disease-specific questionnaires.
July 2023
Update on the Efficacy and Safety Profile of Voclosporin: An Integrated Analysis of Clinical Trials in Lupus Nephritis
Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2023 Jul;75(7):1399–1408 DOI: 10.1002/acr.25007
Pooled analysis of data from the AURA-LV phase 2 and AURORA 1 phase 3 trials of voclosporin in patients with active LN demonstrated that significantly more patients achieved a complete renal response at 1 year in the voclosporin than the control group (p<0.0001), with no observation of new safety signals.
Medication Cost Concerns and Disparities in Patient-reported Outcomes Among a Multiethnic Cohort of Patients with Lupus
J Rheumatol. 2023 Jun 15:jrheum.2023-0060 DOI: 10.3899/jrheum.2023-0060
An analysis of the California Lupus Epidemiology Study cohort demonstrated that more than a quarter of participants reported at least one medication cost concern, which was associated with worse patient-reported outcomes. These results reveal a potentially modifiable risk factor for poor outcomes rooted in the unaffordability of lupus care.
June 2023
Early Infection Risk in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Treated with Rituximab or Belimumab from the British Isles Lupus Assessment Group Biologics Register (BILAG-BR): A Prospective Longitudinal Study
Lancet Rheumatol 2023;5:e284–92 doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/S2665-9913(23)00091-7
Data from a large prospective registry (BILAG-BR) highlight that, compared with standard of care, the serious infection risk was similar between rituximab and belimumab.
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May 2023
Development of American College of Rheumatology Quality Measures for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Modified Delphi Process with RISE Registry Data Review
Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2023 doi: 10.1002/acr.25143
The first ACR quality measures for SLE selected by Bartels, et al. use a rigorous Delphi process, and include recommendations on hydroxychloroquine, glucocorticoid reduction and kidney monitoring.