AURORA 2 Voclosporin, a novel calcineurin inhibitor (CNI), is associated with a favorable metabolic profile with regard to lipids and glucose, and a predictable pharmacokinetic profile, resulting in no need for the therapeutic drug monitoring required of other CNIs. AURORA 2, a double-blind, phase 3 study, evaluated the longterm safety, tolerability and efficacy of voclosporin…
In this study, Fava et al. investigated longitudinal autoantibody profiles in a racially diverse cohort of patients with lupus nephritis to define noninvasive serological biomarkers of histologic class and one-year treatment response to standard of care. In addition, the researchers determined how these biomarkers changed over time to provide further insights into treatment response and…
Hoy et al. sought to evaluate the presence, clinical associations, and potential mechanistic roles of circulating calprotectin in a cohort of patients with primary antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) and those with antiphospholipid antibodies. Calprotectin levels were higher in patients with primary APS and those with antiphospholipid antibodies than in healthy controls. These data suggest that calprotectin has the potential to be a functional biomarker and a new therapeutic target for APS-related thrombocytopenia.
Think about it. Most rheumatology labs are stuck in the 1960s. Translational biomarker research looks excellent on paper and in theory. However, many barriers exist from the bench to the bedside. This article highlights this problem for the rheumatology community and proposes practical solutions. Case in Point For an example, let’s examine systemic lupus erythematosus…
When it comes to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and cardiovascular events (CVEs), the rheumatology community is woefully lacking in information, say researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) David Geffen School of Medicine and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Their recent work on biomarkers associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular events in women with…
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…
A proposed biomarker may improve the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Writing in Arthritis & Rheumatology, researchers at Pleasanton, Calif.-based Roche Sequencing Solutions and the University of Toronto say their biomarker, constructed by profiling a comprehensive set of antibodies via high-density peptide array, has high specificity and sensitivity for RA, compared with commercially available assays.1…
Neutrophils, often hailed as guardians against infections, are maligned when it comes to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) due to their role in both the initial stage and disease progression. A new multicenter work, “A Neutrophil Activation Biomarker Panel in Prognosis and Monitoring of Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis,” seeks to expand the literature on this topic.1 The…
New research on complement activation in anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) associated vasculitis underscores its important role in the pathogenesis of this disease, an autoimmune condition defined by inflammation of small- and medium-caliber blood vessels.1 ANCA testing is commonly performed to help diagnose granulomatosis with polyangiitis and microscopic polyangiitis, both of which are forms of ANCA-associated…
Researchers have identified 93 genes that may play a role in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), including 47 genes not previously associated with SLE. Theresulting transcriptome has revealed underappreciated genes and pathways associated with the pathogenesis of SLE…