Fatigue has a major impact on quality of life in people with systemic lupus erythematosus, and measuring it using a patient-reported tool may prove useful in clinical trials, new research shows. The findings were presented at the recent 2019 American College of Rheumatology/Association for Rheumatology Professionals Annual Meeting…
Adding investigational anifrolumab to standard therapy lowers disease activity, limits the need for corticosteroids, and eases skin symptoms in people with moderate to severe systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a Phase 3 clinical trial shows. Trial results were discussed in a presentation titled “A Phase 3…
Adding low-dose interleukin-2 (IL-2) to standard therapy increases responses and complete remission of lupus nephritis in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), results of a randomized clinical trial suggest. Patients on IL-2 had higher proportions of regulatory T cells, a subset of immune T cells associated with…
Despite limited evidence that opioids reduce pain in people with rheumatic diseases, a study has found that nearly one in three adults with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) use prescription opioids for pain control, with two-thirds of them using these medications for longer than one year. The study, “…
Taking vitamin D supplements does not improve bone health in people with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), at least in the short-term, a small clinical trial suggests. The study, “Effect of vitamin D on serum markers of bone turnover in SLE in a randomised controlled trial,”…
PROMIS10, a health survey by Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information Systems, can measure and monitor important aspects of patients’ experiences with lupus that are not captured by standard questionnaires, a new study found. This free, short-form survey may help optimize the management of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) based…
A new type of functional magnetic resonance imaging — called 3D arterial spin labeling (3D-ASL) — that measures blood flow in the brain may help in the early detection of lupus affecting the brain, a study suggests. The study, “Cerebral blood flow abnormalities in neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus,”…
Many women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) stop taking their medications when they become pregnant, even though taking these medications is recommended for the health of the pregnancy, a study has found. The study, “Patterns of medication use before, during and after pregnancy in women with…
In conditions with complicated diagnostic processes, like systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), research done using healthcare databases may be affected by tentative diagnoses, a study reports. Using an Estonian database, researchers found that only 60% of people with a diagnostic code for SLE actually had the condition, as confirmed…
B-cells in people with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are distinct from those in healthy people, even at very early stages in B-cell development, a new study shows. The study with that finding, “Epigenetic programming underpins B cell dysfunction in human SLE,” was published in Nature Immunology.