Examining gene expression in hair follicles may be sufficient to diagnose chronic discoid lupus erythematosus (CDLE), a kind of lupus in the scalp, avoiding invasive and expensive scalp biopsies, a study suggests. The study, “Plucked hair follicles from patients with chronic discoid lupus erythematosus show a…
Scientists have found a new set of biomarkers that may be used to predict the risk of heart disease in patients with juvenile-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (JSLE). The findings were discussed in an oral presentation titled, “Metabolomics in juvenile-onset SLE: identifying new biomarkers to predict cardiovascular risk,”…
Pregnancy outcomes in women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have improved significantly in the past two decades, including a marked decrease in maternal mortality, according to a large U.S. study. The research, “Trends in Maternal and Fetal Outcomes Among Pregnant Women With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in…
An educational self-management program can benefit African-American women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), improving doctor-patient communication and helping patients manage side effects of their medications, a new study suggests. “Health service utilization among African American women living with systemic lupus erythematosus: perceived impacts of a self-management intervention”…
Machine learning analysis strategies can help predict disease status in people with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a study shows. Still, technical variability inherent to each clinical analysis method can represent a roadblock in this process. Fine-tuning of machine learning algorithms and parameter sets may help reduced technical “noise” caused…
How clinical trials into lupus nephritis define their requirements for patient eligibility are too strict, leaving many people with active and severe disease ineligible for participation, according to a study that looked at six lupus trials and how well their “inclusion and exclusion criteria” matched patients in a large U.K.
The Lupus Research Alliance (LRA) and its affiliate Lupus Therapeutics have expanded a collaboration with Bristol-Myers Squibb to help assess the company’s investigational agent BMS-986165 as a possible treatment for lupus nephritis. The candidate’s effectiveness and safety will be evaluated in a global Phase 2 trial (NCT03943147)…
Rituxan (rituximab) can be effective as maintenance therapy for difficult-to-treat patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, allowing them to cut their use of corticosteroids and immunosuppressive agents, a new study says. However, relapses continue to occur frequently, mostly in patients with active joint disease. The study, “Rituximab…
The three largest minority groups in the United States — blacks, Asians/Pacific Islanders, and Hispanics — are significantly more likely to experience severe manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus than Caucasians, a new study shows. The study, “Racial/Ethnic Differences in Prevalence of and Time to Onset of SLE Manifestations: The…
In terms of kidney health, cyclosporine is a more effective long-term maintenance therapy for people with lupus nephritis than either mycophenolate mofetil or azathioprine, new data suggest. Largely, the researchers drew this conclusion because patients using it — even in the presence of high urine protein levels —…