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Pulmonary hypertension affects 8 percent of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a new meta-analysis shows. But pulmonary hypertension (PH) does not affect all lupus patients equally. A subgroup analysis showed that men, adults, and non-Asian patients are the most affected by the disease. The study, “Prevalence of pulmonary…

The Lupus Multi-Cultural Engagement Partnership (Lupus MCEP) was recently launched at an inaugural meeting in New York City to address the need to increase the number of participants in upcoming lupus clinical trials and to guarantee that ethnic and racial representation is considered. The Lupus MCEP meeting was…

Older patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have a low risk of future renal involvement, researchers report. The risk factors they identified with lupus nephritis onset included young age, low complement levels, and non-Caucasian ethnicity. The study, “Predictors of incident proteinuria among patients with SLE,” was published…

The Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF) recently launched the world’s first lupus prevention study, known as the SMILE clinical trial. The Phase 2 study (NCT03030118) seeks to identify individuals at high risk for developing lupus and treat them with an immune-modifying medication before they develop the disease. The overarching…

Researchers at Northwell Health’s Feinstein Institute for Medical Research have launched a clinical trial to evaluate the potential of a small electronic device in relieving pain in  lupus patients. “Lupus is a painful disease, notoriously hard to diagnose and difficult to treat – new treatment options are desperately needed,” Cynthia…

Abnormal levels of microRNA in the blood of lupus nephritis patients could help doctors diagnose the kidney disorder and scientists develop therapies for it, a study reports. MicroRNA helps genes regulate the production of proteins and other substances. The study, “Profiling analysis of circulating microRNA in peripheral…

Lupus nephritis patients with reduced kidney function and high levels of “good” cholesterol are at a greater risk of end-stage renal disease, a new study suggests. On the other hand, low “good” cholesterol levels were linked to increased risk of all-cause mortality. The research, “…

Certain vitamin D receptor (VDR) variants are associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and contribute to the development of lupus nephritis, according to data from an eastern Indian cohort study. The findings may identify subjects who would benefit from vitamin D supplementation in order to alleviate renal morbidity. The study, “…

Factors that might be predictive of different responses and outcomes in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients who are treated with Rituxan (rituximab) still need to be validated in future studies to enable better and more personalized treatment, a literature review suggests. The study, “Predictive and prognostic…

A new, simple blood test was found to be a good predictor of lupus nephritis (LN) relapses. LN is a kidney disease that is one of the complications of lupus. The test was also used to evaluate disease activity levels in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The study, “…