Autoimmune Diseases:
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) | | This page was written by Shelley Ensz, and has not yet been medically edited. See Disclaimer. | | | |
| Treatments for Lupus |
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| Overview |
| Lupus Treatment Currently, there is no cure for lupus. But treatments can ease symptoms and reduce complications. Mayo Clinic |
| How is systemic lupus treated? There is no permanent cure for systemic lupus. The goal of treatment is to relieve symptoms and protect organs by decreasing inflammation and/or the level of autoimmune activity in the body. Many patients with mild symptoms may need no treatment or only intermittent courses of antiinflammatory medications. MedicineNet |
| FDA Public Health Advisory: Life-threatening Brain Infection in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus After Rituxan (Rituximab) Treatment. FDA has received reports of the death of two patients who were treated with Rituxan for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Both patients developed a life-threatening viral infection of the brain. U.S. Food and Drug Administratoin 12/18/06. (Also see: Medications: DMARDs) |
| New cell-based targets for treating autoimmune inflammatory diseases. Studies uncover platelet-regulating gene mutation involved in lupus nephritis and novel adhesion molecule implicated in rheumatoid arthritis. EurekAlert! 08/31/06. (Also see: Rheumatoid Arthritis) |
| Ace Inhibitors |
| Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE) delay the occurrence of renal involvement and are associated with a decreased risk of disease activity in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)—results from LUMINA (LIX): a multiethnic US cohort. ACE inhibitor use delays the development of renal involvement and associates with a decreased risk of disease activity in SLE. S. Durán-Barragán. Rheumatology Advance Access. May 29, 2008. |
| Alternative Therapies |
| Fish Oil May Be Good Supplemental Treatment For Lupus. Study Suggests. At the end of the study, participants who had been taking omega-3 fish oil showed significant improvement in all areas of measurement, including improved blood vessel function and a reduction in cell damaging molecules—resulting in potential cardiovascular benefits. (Science Daily) American College of Rheumatology (2007, November 11). (Also see: Alternative Therapies) |
| Anti-Malarials (Plaquenil, Hydroxychloroquine) |
| Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) Protects Lupus Patients from Developing Seizures: Data from a Large Multiethnic Cohort. Hydroxychloroquine appears to have a protective role in seizure occurrence, probably due to its combined anti-inflammatory, antithrombotic and antiplatelet properties. These date have practical implications for the management of lupus patients. L.A. González. 493/493. ACR 2007. (Also see: Medications) |
| Anti-Malarials in the Treatment of Lupus. Anti-malarials are particularly effective in treating skin and joint symptoms that may occur in SLE. They have been demonstrated to improve muscle and joint pain; inflammation of the lining of the heart (pericarditis); inflammation of the lining of the lung (pleuritis); and other symptoms of lupus such as fatigue and fever. Lupus Foundation of America. |
| Cellcept (Mycophenolate Mofetil) |
| High dose cyclophosphamide performs better than monthly dose cyclophosphamide in quality of life measures. A randomised clinical trial was completed comparing high-dose cyclophosphamide with monthly intravenous cyclophosphamide in patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) who need cyclophosphamide for the first time. This study shows eventual improvements in quality-of-life with both cyclophosphamide regimens which are clinically meaningful to both patients and treating physicians. (SageJournals) KB Dussán. Lupus. November 25, 2008. (Also see: Cyclophosphamide) |
| 2nd Phase III CellCept Failure Sends Aspreva Shares Down. The 370-patient, 24-week, randomized, open-label study failed to prove that CellCept was superior to intravenous cyclophosphamide (IVC), a cancer drug used off-label in lupus nephritis and widely considered to be the current standard of care. BioWorld Today. 06/28/07. (Also see: Medications) |
| Cytoxan (Cyclophosphamide) |
| High dose cyclophosphamide performs better than monthly dose cyclophosphamide in quality of life measures. A randomised clinical trial was completed comparing high-dose cyclophosphamide with monthly intravenous cyclophosphamide in patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) who need cyclophosphamide for the first time. This study shows eventual improvements in quality-of-life with both cyclophosphamide regimens which are clinically meaningful to both patients and treating physicians. (SageJournals) KB Dussán. Lupus. November 25, 2008. (Also see: Cyclophosphamide) |
| Lupus Treatments Increase Risk of Infertility in Men. Men with systemic lupus erythematosus, especially those who begin treatment with intravenous cyclophosphamide after puberty, are at risk for sperm abnormalities associated with infertility. Medpage Today. 06/28/07. (Also see: Male Infertility, and Cytoxan) |
| Riquent |
| FDA wants new study of lupus drug. Federal regulators said yesterday that they won't approve La Jolla Pharmaceutical's experimental lupus drug Riquent without an additional human study to prove its benefits. San Diego Union Tribune 10/15/04. |
| Stem Cell Transplants |
| Stem Cell Transplant Research for Scleroderma. ISN. |
| Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in systemic lupus erythematosus patients with cardiac dysfunction: feasibility and reversibility of ventricular and valvular dysfunction with transplant-induced remission. These data suggest that auto-HSCT is feasible in selected patients with lupus-related cardiac dysfunction, and with control of disease activity, may improve. PubMed. Bone Marrow Transplant. 2007 May 7. (Also see: Stem Cell Transplants) |
| Stem Cells Fight Lupus. We've all heard a lot about stem cells. In what's being called a huge development, researchers have now found stem cells can wipe out lupus in certain patients. However, risks can include possible blood transfusions, infection, nausea and the risk of becoming sterile. Ivanhoe.com 05/19/06. (Also see: Stem Cell Transplant) |
| Life-threatening Lupus Responds to Stem Cell Transplant Therapy. Researchers found that 50 percent of the 50 patients in the study had disease-free survival at five years with an overall five-year survival rate of 84 percent. Science Daily. 02-03-06. |
| NIH Launches Study of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for Severe, Treatment-Resistant Lupus. The study will include a basic research component to examine the roles of B and T cells, white blood cells in the immune system, in triggering lupus symptoms. Medical News Today. 05/15/04. |
| Nonmyeloablative Stem Cell Transplant in a Patient with Advanced Systemic Sclerosis and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. (Case Report) We describe a patient with both diffuse cutaneous SSc and systemic lupus erythematosus who showed mixed chimerism 29 months after undergoing nonmyeloablative stem cell transplant. She experienced remission of both diseases. J Rheumatol. December 2004; 31:2513-6. (Also see: Stem Cell Transfusions) |
| Vitamin D |
| Vitamin D in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Most cross-sectional studies show an inverse relationship between levels of vitamin D and disease activity. This suggests that repletion of vitamin D may have benefits beyond bone health for patients with SLE. Kamen, D. Current Opinion in Rheumatology. September 2008. |
