Lupus

New data shows that epratuzumab safely produces sustained improvements in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Ambrisentan and tadalafil as one lowers risk of clinical failure in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension.

B-cells that are active in lupus may also play a role in Sjögren’s syndrome. A new study finds that the same B-cell depleter drug, belimumab (Benlysta) approved for lupus, may also benefit Sjögren’s patients.

Social stressors, such as being treated poorly in a doctor’s office, can lead to negative disease outcomes, particularly among black women with lupus, a new study shows.

The majority of pregnant patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have favorable pregnancy outcomes, with few experiencing severe flares.

Study shows that the inflammatory process associated with systemic lupus erythematosus may contribute to MetS over time.

The news from the PROMISSE study on pregnancy outcome in women with systemic lupus erythematosus is good for non-Hispanic white women and not so good for Hispanic white and African-American in women.

Blisibimod, an experimental drug that inhibits autoimmune B-cell activation and survival, produced clinically important improvements in disease activity in systemic lupus erythematosus, as well as in fatigue, in a phase 2b clinical trial.

There is no generally accepted definition for remission of SLE. An international expert panel has provided a framework for testing individual definitions and issued 8 key statements regarding remission.

New guidelines issued at EULAR 2015 outline ways to reduce risks of complications for pregnant women with SLE and antiphospholipid syndrome. Details here.

In the third edition of #rheumjc, author (and Twitter regular) John Cush MD discusses a report from a summit on management of pregnancy and lactation in women with autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.

(ACR2014) Mood disorders are common among lupus patients, but the lupus symptoms appear not to be the direct cause in many cases, according to an international study.

(ACR2014) Early comparisons of patients with rheumatic disease who use marijuana with those who don't show that the practice is not associated with better pain relief. But it is associated with some "sobering" consequences.

The National Lupus Awareness Campaign, the first-ever program of its kind, was launched recently in a cooperative effort between the US Department of Health & Human Services' Office on Women's Health and the Advertising Council. The "Could I have lupus?" campaign is designed to improve early diagnosis and treatment in persons at increased risk for lupus by raising recognition of the disease as a significant national public health problem and creating a sense of urgency about it.

Once a diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has been made, numerous neurological and psychiatric manifestations may be found to accompany the disease.

The features of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are common in the lifetime course of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and are significantly associated with an increased mortality risk, even after adjusting for well-described RA-specific predictors of mortality. For some SLE features, the increased risk may be as high as 6-fold.

ABSTRACT: Increased disease recognition and therapeutic advanceshave led to improved survival in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE) over the past several decades. As a result, managementof the long-term comorbidities and complications of SLE has taken ongreater importance. Maintaining a high index of suspicion for cardiovasculardisease in SLE and screening for traditional risk factors isprudent. Minimizing the use of immunosuppressive agents remainsthe main strategy for decreasing infections, but providing routinevaccinations also can decrease the burden of infections. Despite thehigh prevalence of osteoporosis, screening and treatment remainsuboptimal in patients with SLE and deserve increased attention.Patients with SLE are at increased risk for malignancy and physiciansshould remain vigilant for cancer in these patients. (J MusculoskelMed. 2008;25:316-320)

SLE is an unpredictable and often confusing disease that affects more than 1.5 million Americans and at least 5 million persons worldwide.