Lupus

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex multi-organ autoimmune disease marked by the production of autoantibodies against nuclear structures, formation of immune complexes, and chronic inflammation triggered by their tissular deposition. SLE is characterized by alternating periods of relapse and remission and each flare has the potential to cause new organ damage related to either the disease process or the medication toxicity. Despite remarkable progress across its multiple domains, SLE is still an area with many unmet needs, calling for innovative and practical solutions...

Discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) is a devastating autoimmune disease with few therapies available. For patients with little to no symptom improvement with initial treatment, the literature surrounding further treatment options and their efficacy remains limited. Here we report a 46-year-old patient with lupus and refractory DLE, who failed numerous medications since her initial diagnosis in 2014. She had a robust response to lenalidomide with further improvement after adding anifrolumab (ANI), in conjunction with the standard of care hydroxychloroquine...

Lupus enteritis refers to the gastrointestinal involvement in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). It presents with diverse symptoms that frequently overlap with those of other acute abdominal conditions, posing diagnostic challenges. We describe an adolescent female, with lupus pancreatitis and nephritis, who later developed severe lupus enteritis during the course of her illness. She was treated with pulse methylprednisolone and intravenous cyclophosphamide and gradually improved over 3 weeks. Our case highlights the need to consider lupus enteritis in patients with severe pain abdomen and intractable vomiting...

INTRODUCTION: Current rheumatology and nephrology society guidelines in lupus nephritis do not recommend renal biopsy for proteinuria of less than 500 mg/24 h. This might lead to a significant delay in the early diagnosis of lupus nephritis. AIM: The main aim of this study is to determine the nature of renal lesions in patients with low-grade proteinuria and to analyze the predictors for clinically significant lupus nephritis. METHODS: This was a single-center, retrospective study...

OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to evaluate the renal response (RR) of three immunosuppressive protocols in the induction treatment of proliferative lupus nephritis (PLN) in a Tunisian population. METHODS: We performed a retrospective prognostic cohort study in the Internal Medicine Department of the Habib Thameur University Hospital in Tunis from January 2000 to December 2023, and included kidney biopsy proven proliferative lupus nephritis patients. Three induction treatments were compared: High CYP regimen: glucocorticoids (GC) + IV cyclophosphamide (CYP) in monthly pulses of 0...

PURPOSE: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) significantly affects both the quality of life related to health and non-health aspects. This study aims to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Lupus_PRO questionnaire, version 1.7. The questionnaire serves as a specific self-report outcome scale for assessing the treatment outcomes of Lupus disease. METHODS: The Lupus_PRO questionnaire, version 1.7, was translated into Persian using the standard forward-backward method...

BACKGROUND: Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an acquired autoimmune disorder characterized by distinct pathophysiological mechanisms leading to heterogeneous manifestations, including venous and arterial thrombosis. Despite the lack of specific markers of thrombosis risk in APS, some of the mechanisms responsible for thrombosis in APS may overlap with those of other thromboembolic diseases. Understanding these similarities is important for improving the assessment of thrombosis risk in APS...

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the needs of patients with SLE in terms of discharge planning, to outline the practical perspectives of clinical healthcare professionals regarding the enablers and impediments to SLE patients' discharge planning, and to establish a basis for the creation of SLE discharge plans for subsequently diagnosed patients. METHODS: Descriptive qualitative research methodology was used in this study, with the researcher herself as the research instrument...

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OBJECTIVE: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects multiple organs, notably the skin, joints, and kidneys. The primary goal in managing SLE is to enhance patients' quality of life (QoL). Illness perception can influence QoL in patients with chronic disease. We assessed illness perception in juvenile SLE (jSLE) patients and its effect on patient's and parental QoL. METHOD: Patients diagnosed with jSLE according to the SLICC 2012 criteria between January and November 2023 were included...

BACKGROUND: Pain is one of the most frequently reported symptoms and often one of the first subjective symptoms in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). A previous study indicated that most patients with SLE reported low levels of SLE-related pain. However, a subgroup of patients reported high levels of pain ≥40 mm (0-100 mm) and had a substantial symptom burden in terms of fatigue, anxiety, depression, and reduced health-related quality of life. Thus, there is a need to elucidate the implications of high levels of pain in everyday life...

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to explore possible susceptibility genes and clinical features for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients in a Chinese population. METHODS: Expanding on the results of a prior single-center observational study involving 60 systemic lupus erythematosus patients, a subsequent single-center prospective observational study was conducted on SLE patients undergoing treatment at Nanfang Hospital Affiliated to Southern Medical University from 2021 to 2023...

Two cases of chilblain lupus erythematosus (CLE) potentially triggered by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) nail lamps are presented. These cases, along with a review of the literature, suggest a possible link between UV nail lamp use and CLE development or reactivation. Further research is needed to confirm this association, but healthcare professionals should be aware of the potential risks of this practice, especially for patients with photosensitive conditions.

INTRODUCTION: Vitamin-K antagonists (VKA) are considered the first-line anticoagulants for thrombotic antiphospholipid syndrome (TAPS), particularly with triple positivity or arterial events. However, thrombotic recurrence remains high despite anticoagulation and other clinical issues may arise. Long-term parenteral anticoagulants may therefore be considered, however little is known about the viability of fondaparinux in this setting. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We describe the efficacy and safety of long-term fondaparinux for TAPS (>3-months duration) treated at a single centre in the UK...

OBJECTIVES: There are often discrepancies in the evaluation of disease activity between patients and physicians in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). In this study, we examined the factors that affect those evaluations. METHODS: Physician visual analogue scale (Ph-VAS), patient VAS (Pt-VAS), Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2k), glucocorticoid (GC) usage and dose, age, Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology Damage Index, and three patient-reported outcomes (SLE symptom checklist [SSC], short-form 36 questionnaire [SF-36], and LupusPRO) were obtained from a study performed in 2019 using 225 SLE outpatients of the Kyoto Lupus Cohort at Kyoto University Hospital...

OBJECTIVE: To summarize the causes of death and clinical characteristics of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) hospitalized patients in the last 20 years to improve SLE survival rates by detecting critical SLE early. METHODS: In this case-control study, 218 SLE death cases were retrospectively analyzed from January 2002 to December 2022, with 110 SLE inpatients chosen at random as controls. The clinical symptoms, causes of death, and risk factors in patients with SLE were investigated...

OBJECTIVES: To identify the predictive factors of first hospitalization and associated variables to the main causes of hospitalizations in lupus patients from a Latin American cohort. METHODS: The first hospitalization after entry into the cohort during these patients' follow-up due to either lupus disease activity and/or infection was examined. Clinical and therapeutic variables were those occurring prior to the first hospitalization. Descriptive statistical tests, multivariable logistic, and Cox regression models were performed...

BACKGROUND: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex autoimmune disease with unclear etiology. Growing evidence suggests the microbiome plays a role in SLE pathogenesis. However, findings are inconsistent across studies due to factors like small sample sizes and geographical variations. A comprehensive meta-analysis is needed to elucidate microbiome alterations in SLE. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to provide a systematic overview of microbiota dysbiosis across body sites in SLE through a meta-analysis of alpha diversity indices, beta diversity indices, and abundance taxa of microbiome...

INTRODUCTION: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) warrants an early diagnosis and prompt management. Delay in diagnosis can result in repeated flares, permanent damage, and even death. There is a large variability in the time taken to diagnose SLE across the world. We undertook this study to determine the time taken for diagnosis of SLE in India and to identify the factors associated. METHODS: Patients with SLE diagnosed within the previous 1 year as per Systemic Lupus Erythematosus International Collaborating Clinics criteria (SLICC) 2012 criteria were included in a cross-sectional multicentre questionnaire-based survey...

INTRODUCTION: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is often associated with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), which manifests as recurrent thrombotic events or obstetric complications in presence of antiphospholipid antibodies. Hereby we present a case of a child who presented with low grade fever, superficial thrombophlebitis with mucosal bleeding and was diagnosed as Lupus Anticoagulant Hypoprothrombonemia Syndrome (LAHS). CASE: A 7-year-old girl was hositalized with complaints of fever and spontaneous bleeding from gums and epistaxis...