The Johns Hopkins Lupus Center, Baltimore, has described its experience using hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) levels.1 Forty-four percent of its patients had levels below 500 ng/mL (partial nonadherence); 13% were severely nonadherent (<200 ng/mL). They were shown their results and educated on HCQ adherence. Adherence then improved to 80%; those with lower HCQ levels had higher disease…
A recent study is the first to examine pragmatic language skills in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), finding that approximately half of SLE patients have pragmatic language dysfunction…
ATLANTA—When it comes to identifying reliable biomarkers that can predict worsening illness or help point to proper treatment, it’s hard to imagine a more vexing disease than systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), said Jill P. Buyon, MD, director of the Lupus Center at New York University Langone Medical Center, in the 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting session…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—New European League Against Rheumatism/American College of Rheumatology (EULAR/ACR) classification criteria can be used to identify patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in an unselected group of patients hospitalized for pericardial effusion, new findings show.1 “Overall, in patients with pericardial effusion and positive ANA, the diagnosis of SLE could be ruled out…
For patients with lupus, family planning discussions are vital to achieving positive pregnancy outcomes & maintaining overall health…
A recent study from Brazil suggests lupus nephritis patients who receive renal transplant have a high five-year survival rate. Researchers found the presence of venous thrombosis and antiphospholipid syndrome, but not viral infection, were important predictors of renal graft loss in these patients…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Changes in atmospheric and environmental factors may contribute to organ-specific disease exacerbation in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), according to a new study. The study found “strong associations between atmospheric variables and fine particulate matter concentration over the 10 days prior to a patient visit and organ-specific lupus flares at the…
The new EULAR/ACR classification criteria for SLE offer improved sensitivity and specificity, as well as more accurately reflect the current tests used to clinically diagnose SLE. A positive ANA test is obligatory…
A recent study in The Journal of Rheumatology sheds light on the importance of preconceptional cardiovascular health in women with systemic lupus erythematosus. Although many questions remain, improved cardiovascular health measures seem to positively affect pregnancy outcomes, suggesting a potential role for preconception cardiovascular interventions.1 Women with lupus now have healthier pregnancies than in the…
How laboratories define a serological hallmark of systemic lupus erythematous and which assays they use to detect it could contribute to misclassification of patients identified as anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) negative, according to researchers. Most people who have lupus test positive for ANAs as part of an immunology screening for autoimmune disorders. The presence of ANAs…