Lupus Nephritis FocusRheum

The FDA’s latest label change for voclosporin adds data demonstrating its safety and efficacy, as well as a sustained renal response, in patients with lupus nephritis through three years of treatment.

SAN DIEGO—As part of a Nov. 14 session on lupus nephritis at ACR Convergence 2023, Simone Appenzeller, MD, PhD, shared perspectives on the importance of biopsy to inform its diagnosis, prognosis and treatment, with an emphasis on childhood disease. Prompt diagnosis and treatment of lupus nephritis is perhaps even more important for children than for…

Kidney involvement is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Collectively termed lupus nephritis, SLE with kidney involvement comes in many subtypes. The current classification by the International Society of Nephrology/Renal Pathology Society (ISN/RPS), however, does not include lupus podocytopathy, which, through various clinical and epidemiologic studies, has recently been…

SAN DIEGO—In one presentation at Plenary Session 3, ACR Convergence 2023, Beth Wallace, MD, MSc, a staff physician at the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Michigan, and an assistant professor at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, shared important data on the relationship between time-dependent cumulative glucocorticoid exposure and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in a cohort of veterans with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

AURORA 2, a double-blind, phase 3 study, evaluated the long-term safety, tolerability and efficacy of voclosporin compared to placebo in patients with lupus nephritis receiving an additional two years of treatment following completion of the one-year AURORA 1 study. Patients enrolled in AURORA 2 continued to receive the same treatment randomly assigned in AURORA 1, in combination with mycophenolate mofetil and low-dose glucocorticoids. Saxena et al. propose that the rapid renal response achieved with voclosporin treatment has long-term benefits, supported by stable kidney function over the three-year treatment period.

SAN DIEGO—The Autoimmunity Centers of Excellence (ACE) are a cooperative group funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) that conduct basic and clinical research on autoimmune diseases.1 ACEs focus on treatment and prevention strategies that induce immune tolerance or modulate the immune system. The goal is to facilitate collaboration across clinicians…

SAN DIEGO—At ACR Convergence 2023, Plenary Session 2, April M. Jorge, MD, shared data concerning the potential cardio- and renal-protective benefits of sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and lupus nephritis.

How does a rheumatologist treat a pregnant woman when many medications are not approved for pregnancy or safety data are limited?

Syphilis, an ancient disease caused by the spirochete Treponema pallidum, has been historically referred to as the great mimicker given its heterogenous presentation. Both systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and syphilis can have multi-systemic involve­ment. Both parvovirus B19 and syphilis have been reported to cause histologic features similar to those seen in lupus nephritis.  We present…

Belimumab is now FDA approved to treat children aged 5 years and older with active lupus nephritis, providing treatment options for pediatric patients at risk of developing renal damage.