Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE or lupus) is a chronic disease that causes systemic inflammation and affects multiple organs. Who is most at risk to develop SLE, and why? How does a person transition from healthy to active lupus? How can we help patients achieve and maintain remission? These are some of the questions explored in the articles below. Explore our collection of research reviews, case reports and clinical articles on advances in the diagnosis and management of SLE. Features are added often, so check back frequently.

Plus, dozens of research abstracts on various aspects of lupus were presented during ACR Convergence 2021, and David S. Pisetsky, MD, PhD, professor of medicine and immunology at Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, N.C., a staff rheumatologist at the Durham VA Medical Center and the very first physician editor of The Rheumatologist, highlights a few in the context of the work and their importance. (Also see his commentary from 2020.)

FEATURED ARTICLE: Top 12: Research in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus at a Glance

Case Study: Cerebral Toxoplasmosis in a Newly Diagnosed Lupus Patient

The occurrence of opportunistic infections is an established complication in patients diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The foremost challenge in such circumstances is differentiating between an exacerbation or progression of SLE, and the effects of the infection itself.1 Toxoplasma gondii is a ubiquitous parasite that often causes an asymptomatic infection in healthy, immunocompetent adults…. [Read More]

CDC-Funded RISE Project Aims to Improve Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patient Outcomes

In September 2020, the ACR received a $7 million grant for a four-pronged SLE approach that seeks to address gaps and inequities in SLE through physician education, medical school outreach, pediatric support and disease management.... [Read More]

Case Report: Drug-Induced Lupus & ANCA-Associated Vasculitis Overlap

Drug-induced lupus erythematosus and ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) are both autoimmune conditions associated with the use of hydralazine, a commonly prescribed drug for hypertension and congestive heart failure. Although the pathogenesis is unknown, it is believed that hydralazine alters neutrophil and lymphocyte function and promotes exposure of antigens, leading to the development of anti-neutrophil antibodies (ANCA)… [Read More]

Study Finds Renal Arteriosclerosis Is Common in Lupus Nephritis Patients

Renal arteriosclerosis is common in lupus patients with nephritis and occurs two decades earlier than it does in people without lupus nephritis (LN), report investigators in a study that examined the prevalence of renal arteriosclerosis in LN patients compared with healthy controls.1 The finding suggests that renal arteriosclerosis could be used as a biomarker for… [Read More]

Case Report: A Lupus Patient with Abdominal Pain

Our patient was a 33-year-old, 5’2″ Asian woman with a past medical history of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The diagnosis was based on serologies positive for anti-nuclear antibodies (ANAs), as well as antibodies to Sm, RNP and SSA. Her illness included neuropsychiatric and cutaneous involvement. She also had a diagnosis of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. She presented… [Read More]

Study Finds CB-CAPs Could Be a Biomarker for Probable Lupus

Patients who do not fulfill classification criteria for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) can be referred to as having probable SLE (pSLE). These patients can be identified with cell-bound complement activation products (CB-CAPs), according to a recently published study in Arthritis & Rheumatology.1 The findings are relevant because the existing Systemic Lupus Erythematosus International Collaborating Clinics… [Read More]

Studies Examine Peripheral Nervous System Disease in Lupus Patients

Although systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) affects both the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS), past research has primarily focused on how lupus affects the CNS. Now, an international, inception cohort study, “Peripheral Nervous System Disease in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus,” published in Arthritis & Rheumatology, has examined different types of PNS disease to… [Read More]

What’s the Role of Epstein-Barr Virus Reactivation in Lupus Development?

A strong association between Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infections and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has been known since the 1970s. Although the etiology of SLE is not fully established, multiple genetic factors and polymorphisms in genes involved in the immune system have been implicated, with environmental factors also contributing to the development of this complex condition…. [Read More]

Duke Researchers Create a Type 1, Type 2 Lupus Disease Model

A new disease model for lupus tackles issues with fatigue and other serious conditions that, although quite common among patients, get less attention because they fall outside classic symptoms associated with inflammation, a debilitating force behind systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The model features subtypes to categorize two main groups of symptoms into type 1, typically… [Read More]

A New Frailty Index Aids Lupus Assessment

A recently developed frailty index may be a valuable way to quantify vulnerability in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), according to a study published in Arthritis & Rheumatology.1 When evaluating SLE, physicians consider a patient’s disease activity, organ damage and health-related quality of life. The Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC)/ACR Damage Index (SDI)… [Read More]