Lupus

Lifestyle approaches, including physical activity and smoking cessation, should complement medical therapy in patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases, according to data presented at the EULAR 2020 E-Congress.

Data from the largest lupus nephritis study to date suggested that belimumab plus standard therapy “significantly improves” renal response compared with standard therapy alone, according to data presented at the EULAR 2020 Congress.

Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus exhibited consistent responses to anifrolumab as measured by British Isles Lupus Assessment Group-based Composite Lupus Assessment, or BICLA, irrespective of baseline characteristics, according to a large pooled analysis presented at the EULAR 2020 E-Congress.

The average patient who received hydroxychloroquine for a rheumatic disease was unlikely to achieve the total serum or plasma concentration necessary to inhibit the coronavirus in vitro, particularly at dosages of less than 400 mg per day, according to data published in The Journal of Rheumatology.

The rise and fall of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine as “game-changing” treatments for COVID-19 should come as no surprise to experts who have paid attention to the history of these drugs, according to findings published in The FASEB Journal.

Learning Objectives:

As the world continues to struggle with the COVID-19 pandemic, new symptoms of the virus continue to be identified. One such symptom, purple or red lesions on the toes and hands, has been dubbed “COVID toes” and has gained attention over recent weeks.

Patients with connective tissue disease who maintain their rheumatic therapy do not have an increased risk for COVID-19, according to a group of physicians in Italy who presented findings in an editorial published in the Journal of Rheumatology.

A clinical SLE Disease Activity Index score of 0 was the most obtainable definition of remission in systemic lupus erythematosus, and best predicted damage progression in the short-to-mid-term, according to findings published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.

Earlier treatment with belimumab among patients with active systemic lupus erythematosus and low baseline damage predicted favorable outcomes, according to data published in Arthritis & Rheumatology.