Adding an oral immunosuppressive agent and hydroxychloroquine to routine intravenous cyclophosphamide significantly increases response rates among patients with lupus nephritis without increasing the rate of severe adverse events, a randomized study found. The study, “Combined immunosuppressive treatment (CIST) in lupus nephritis: a multicenter, randomized controlled study,” was published…
A low dose of the immunosuppressant leflunomide is as safe and effective as the standard of care cyclophosphamide for induction treatment of patients with lupus nephritis, according to a Phase 2/3 trial in China. Trial findings were published in the study, “Leflunomide versus cyclophosphamide in the induction…
Twelve weeks of aerobic exercise improved cardiovascular and respiratory fitness in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), but without positive changes in arterial stiffness that was this small study’s main goal. Results also found no increase in signs of inflammation or oxidative stress in the exercise group compared to a control group urged to…
The investigational compound evobrutinib acts on the immune system by promoting anti-inflammatory behavior of macrophages — immune cells that engulf and digest pathogens — and the death of pro-inflammatory ones, a study reports. This suggests benefits in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis besides the suppression of B-cells.
Patients with autoimmune diseases — such as psoriasis, lupus, and arthritis — tend to accumulate collagen, a connective tissue protein, in their blood vessels, which traps cholesterol in arteries and heart tissue, a mouse study has found. These findings begin to explain why these patients have a significantly higher risk for heart…
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients using hydroxychloroquine have a markedly lower risk of a type of abnormal heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation than those not being treated with the therapy, according to a retrospective study. The research, “Association of Hydroxychloroquine Use and Incident Atrial Fibrillation in…
A Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating Eli Lilly’s investigational therapy LY3361237 in healthy people has dosed its first participant, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute (SBP) announced. The treatment is being developed for auto-immune conditions like lupus, psoriasis, and rheumatoid arthritis, where the immune system is overactive and attacks healthy…
Tacrolimus is an effective and safe alternative for the long-term maintenance of lupus nephritis, reducing the need for steroids, in patients who do not respond to other immunosuppressants, a five-year retrospective study shows. The study, “Long-term effects of tacrolimus for maintenance therapy of lupus nephritis: a 5-year retrospective study at a single center,”…
Using Benlysta (belimumab) as a maintenance therapy after Rituxan (rituximab) leads to similar kidney function in patients with lupus nephritis compared with Rituxan alone, according to a Phase 2 clinical trial. The research, “Phase 2 Trial of Induction Therapy with Anti-CD20 (Rituximab) Followed By Maintenance Therapy with Anti-BAFF…
SERPINA3 — a protein involved in inflammation — could serve as an urine indicator of lupus nephritis progression and chronic disease in children, a pilot study suggests. The study, “Discovery of SERPINA3 as a candidate urinary biomarker of lupus nephritis activity,” was published in the journal Rheumatology. Up…