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Study: Longer-term follow-up needed for patients with SLE in remission
Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus showed a 14.5% rate of complete remission for 3 years, with some patients continuing to show flares after 10 years of remission.
“Previous studies have reported different values of incidence and prevalence among patients who achieve remission (which in most publications means clinical remission) in their respective populations,” Carmen V. Medina-Quiñones, MD, from the Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal in Madrid, and colleagues wrote in their study. “The lack of consensus about the criteria for remission has influenced these discordant results.”
Medina-Quiñones and colleagues evaluated 532 patients enrolled in the University College Hospital Lupus cohort between January 1978 and December 2010 and were followed for a minimum of 3 years to determine complete remission. The researchers defined complete remission as clinical inactivity for 3 years (patients had British Isles Lupus Assessment group scores of C, D or E), no treatment with immunosuppressive drugs or corticosteroids, and laboratory remission.
Investigators found 77 of 532 patients (14.5%) achieved complete remission for a minimum of 3 years and 23 patients (4.3%) achieved complete remission for a minimum of 10 years, according to the abstract. Of the 77 patients who achieved minimum 3-year complete remission, 10 patients were lost to follow-up and 15 of the remaining 67 patients (22.4%) experienced flares. Of the patients who achieved minimum 10-year remission, three patients relapsed after 10 years.
The researchers noted 45 patients (8.5%) were in clinical remission, but had serologically active, clinically quiescent disease and 66 patients (12.4%) showed serologic remission only, according to the abstract. – by Jeff Craven
Disclosure: Healio.com was unable to confirm whether Medina-Quiñones has any relevant financial disclosures.