A case study found that epilepsy and rapid cognitive decline in an 70-year-old man initially masked — and complicated — diagnosing his central nervous system (CNS) lupus, but once the disease was identified and treated with immunotherapy, his neurological symptoms considerably improved. The study, “Neuropsychiatric Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Diagnostic Conundrum,” published…
Researchers at the biotechnology company Shade have developed a sensor, going under the same name, that allows people with systemic lupus erythematosus to accurately measure their ultraviolet (UV) exposure, enabling them to find and adjust to the personal exposure threshold that triggers their symptoms. While many wearable devices claim to measure vital signs, Shade —…
In a letter to the editor of the journal Nefrologia, a recent case report focused on a single patient with a diagnosis of simultaneous systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and Gaucher disease (GD), two unrelated medical conditions. The study, “Gaucher disease and Lupus: A rare association?” aims to present and…
The presence of anti-ficolin 3 antibodies could be used as a biomarker to diagnose active lupus with kidney involvement according to a study published in the scientific journal Plos One.
The results of a Phase 2/3 trial at two hospitals in the U.K. comparing the effectiveness of Xarelto (rivaroxaban) and Coumadin (warfarin) in the treatment of patients with thrombotic antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), with or without systemic lupus erythematosus, showed that Xarelto can be a safe and effective option for patients with…
A recent study published in the journal Health and Quality of Life Outcomes revealed that the Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS) is a suitable tool to assess resilience in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The BRCS is a self-reported measurement test considered a reliable indicator of resilience — the ability to cope…
Kezar Life Sciences, a San Francisco-based company focused on the development of therapies targeting protein homeostasis, recently initiated a Phase 1 clinical trial assessing KZR-616, a potential treatment for multiple autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, including lupus. Together with a medical team in Australia, the study will be performed in a…
A large number of patients with class II lupus nephritis (LN) show histological transformations years after the diagnosis, a new study reported, adding that proteinuria — or excessive amounts of protein in the urine — can serve as a predictor of patient outcome. This findings are the result of a multicenter study carried out in…
The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) and Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) released a new report highlighting the progress in the fight against autoimmune diseases, including lupus. The report, “Medicines in Development for Autoimmune Diseases: A Report on Autoimmune Diseases,” states that America’s biopharmaceutical…
Leptin, a hormone produced by fat cells in the body, was seen to actively promote systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in mouse models of the disease, allowing the formation of autoantibodies and changing the activities of immune cells. Patients with lupus have increased levels of leptin, but until now researchers did not know…