Clinical observation of 9 cases of rituximab followed by belimumab in the treatment of severe systemic lupus erythematosus / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of rituximab （RTX） followed by belimumab （BLM） in patients with severe systemic lupus erythematosus（SSLE）. METHODS Nine SSLE patients， who were treated with RTX followed by BLM for more than 6 months in the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from October 2020 to June 2021， were enrolled. Baseline clinical data of patients， laboratory examination results and basic treatment status at weeks 0， 4， 12， and 24 of medication were collected retrospectively. The patients’ systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index （SLEDAI） score， glucocorticoid dosage and serological indicators （complement C3， complement C4， serum albumin， and 24-hour urine protein quantification） level were analyzed. At the same time， the occurrence of adverse drug reaction was collected. RESULTS All 9 patients completed more than 24 weeks of RTX followed by BLM therapy. All patients suffered from renal impairment， of which 7 （77.8%） had renal pathology support， 3（33.3%） had blood system damage and 2 （22.2%） had nervous system damage. During treatment， with the prolongation of treatment time， the SLEDAI score， 24- hour urinary protein quantification， and glucocorticoid dosage of patients showed a significant downward trend， and ultimately decreased to the normal index level （P＜0.05）； serum albumin， complement C3 and complement C4 all showed a significant upward trend， eventually rose to the normal index level （P＜0.05）. During treatment and follow-up， 1 patient developed herpes zoster， 1 patient developed upper respiratory tract virus infection， and 1 patient developed urinary system bacterial infection. All patients recovered after symptomatic treatment. CONCLUSIONS In sequential use of RTX followed by BLM for SSLE， early administration of RTX can quickly stabilizethe condition， significantly alleviate clinical symptoms， and gradually normalize specific serological indicators； subsequent administration of BLM can reduce the type and dosage of basic treatment drugs； there is no increase in the incidence of adverse drug reactions.

Meta-analysis of efficacy and safety of belimumab in the treatment of childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy and safety of belimumab in the treatment childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus （cSLE）， and to provide evidence-based references for clinical medication. METHODS Randomized controlled trials （RCTs） about belimumab or belimumab combined with hormone or belimumab combined with hormone and traditional drugs （test group） compared with placebo or hormone or traditional drugs or traditional drugs combined with hormone （control group） were collected by computer searching CNKI， Wanfang data， VIP， SinoMed， PubMed， Embase， Web of Science and the Cochrane Library； the search deadline was from the establishment of the databases to April 9th， 2023. After screening the literature and extracting the data， the quality of the included literature was evaluated by using the bias risk assessment tool recommended by Cochrane system evaluation manual 5.1.0； meta-analysis and sensitivity analysis were conducted by using RevMan 5.4 software. RESULTS A total of 510 children were included in 7 RCTs. Results of the meta-analysis showed that the clinically effective rate of test group was significantly better than the control group [OR＝6.16， 95%CI （2.23， 17.00）， P＝0.000 4]. There were no statistically significant differences in SLE disease activity index （SLEDAI） [MD＝－1.73， 95%CI （－3.50， 0.05）， P＝0.06]， the incidence of adverse drug reactions [OR＝0.72， 95%CI （0.43， 1.19）， P＝0.02]， complement C3 levels [MD＝0.12， 95%CI （－0.06， 0.30）， P＝0.18]， complement C4 levels [MD＝0.08，95%CI （－0.07，0.24）， P＝0.30] or the response rate of SLE responder index 4 [OR＝1.52， 95%CI （0.94，2.44）， P＝0.09] between 2 groups. The results of sensitivity analysis showed that when SLEDAI， the complement C3 levels and complement C4 levels were used as indicators， the results obtained in this study were robust. CONCLUSIONS The efficacy of belimumab in the treatment of cSLE is good， and its safety is comparable to the basic treatment.

Efficacy and safety of belimumab combined with standard regimen in the treatment of active lupus nephritis / 中华肾脏病杂志

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of belimumab combined with standard regimen in the treatment of active lupus nephritis (LN).Methods:It was a single-center, pre - and post-control retrospective study. The Data of active LN patients treated with belimumab combined with standard regimen in the Department of Nephrology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from June 1, 2020 to June 30, 2022 were collected for analyzing the renal response rate and adverse reactions after belimumab treatment.Results:A total of 17 patients were included, including 14 females (82.35%). The age of the first medication was (26.06±2.64) years old, the median time of illness before the use of belimumab was 24.00 (8.50, 48.50) months, and the recurrence times before the use of belimumab was (1.24±1.03) times. All the 17 patients underwent renal biopsy. The main pathological types were type IV in 11 cases (11/17), type Ⅲ+V in 2 cases (2/17), type IV+V in 3 cases (3/17), and type V in 1 case (1/17). The dose of glucocorticoids was (22.95±8.30) mg/d in 1 year before belimumab administration. In 12 patients with LN who completed 24 weeks of belimumab treatment plan, the 24-hour urinary protein showed a downward trend, and there was a statistically significant difference compared with the baseline at 24 week [0.49 (0.15, 2.19) g vs. 2.83 (1.14, 4.11) g, Z=-2.100, P=0.036]. Compared with the baseline, serum albumin at 24 week increased by 29.36%, with statistically significant difference [(34.50±3.34) g/L vs. (26.67±5.75) g/L, t=-3.840, P=0.030]. The systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index-2K score continued to decline, with statistically significant difference compared with baseline at 24 week (5.00±3.02 vs. 12.00±2.82, t=6.163, P<0.001). The lymphocyte count increased, and the difference was statistically significant compared with the baseline at 24 week [0.72(0.28, 2.39)×10 9/L vs. 0.30(0.19,0.34)×10 9/L, Z=-2.073, P=0.038]. There was a statistically significant difference between the glucocorticoids dosage at 24 week and the average glucocorticoids dosage 1 year before treatment [(11.25±6.35) mg/d vs. (22.60±9.75) mg/d, t=4.225, P=0.003]. After observation of belimumab for (38.13±22.93) weeks, patients had a complete response rate of 64.71% (11/17), a partial response rate of 17.65% (3/17), and an overall response rate of 82.35% (14/17). Relapse occurred in 1 case.No infusion-related reactions occurred in 17 patients. During the treatment, a total of 5 adverse events occurred, including 2 cases of pulmonary infection, 1 case each of sepsis, upper respiratory tract infection, and cytomegalovirus infection, which all improved after treatment and the subsequent treatment was not affected. Conclusion:Belimumab combined with standard regimen can improve the response rate of LN, reduce the recurrence rate, reduce the dosage of glucocorticoids, and control the overall adverse events with good prognosis.

Uso de belimumabe em paciente com lúpus eritematoso sistêmico refratário ao tratamento convencional: relato de caso / Use of belimumab in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus refractory to conventional treatment: case report

O lúpus eritematoso sistêmico (LES) é uma doença de caráter imunomediado, ocasionada por fatores hormonais, ambientais e genéticos. Caracteriza-se pela presença de autoanticorpos reativos para diferentes células e tecidos, apresentando manifestações clínicas diversificadas, períodos de exacerbação e remissão, o que dificulta o tratamento desses pacientes. Este relato de caso destaca o progresso do uso de anticorpo monoclonal humano em uma paciente do gênero feminino, diagnosticada com LES em maio de 2019, aos 30 anos, e, por ser refratária ao tratamento medicamentoso convencional, utilizou o tratamento com anticorpo monoclonal humano belimumabe, com início em setembro de 2019. O belimumabe é um anticorpo monoclonal humano que se liga à proteína estimuladora de linfócito B (BLyS) solúvel, inclusive dos autorreativos, e desta maneira, reduz a diferenciação de linfócitos B em plasmócitos, diminuindo os níveis de IgG sérica e dos anticorpos anti-dsDNA, além de melhorar o quadro clínico dos pacientes. Apesar de ser um medicamento biológico de alto custo, diminui drasticamente os sintomas clínicos do LES, possibilitando a redução do uso do corticoide e os efeitos consequentes de seu uso, além de reestabelecer os parâmetros laboratoriais alterados pela doença, sem alteração de indicadores hepáticos e renais. O LES não tem cura, logo, o objetivo do tratamento é diminuir os sintomas e conter as fases ativas da doença.

Systemic lupus erythematosus is an immune-mediated disease caused by hormonal, environmental and genetic factors. It is characterized by the presence of reactive autoantibodies to different cells and tissues, with diverse clinical manifestations and periods of exacerbation and remission, which complicates treatment. This case report highlights progress with the use of a human monoclonal antibody in a woman diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus in May 2019 (at age 30). Since she was refractory to conventional drugs, belimumab treatment was begun in September 2019. Belimumab is a human monoclonal antibody that binds to soluble B lymphocyte-stimulating proteins, including self-reactive ones, and reduces the differentiation of B lymphocytes into plasma cells, decreasing the serum IgG and anti-dsDNA antibody levels, in addition to improving patient clinical status. Despite being a high-cost biological drug, it drastically reduces the clinical symptoms of systemic lupus erythematosus, enabling reduced used of corticosteroids and their effects, in addition to reestablishing laboratory parameters altered by the disease, without changing liver and kidney indicators. Since systemic lupus erythematosus has no cure, the goal of treatment is to reduce symptoms and the active phases of the disease.

Lupus en Argentina. Pacientes no respondedores al tratamiento estándar y belimumab como posible opción. Datos del registro RELESSAR / Lupus in Argentina. Non-responders to standard treatment and belimumab as a possible option. RELESSAR record data

Introducción: el lupus es una enfermedad compleja y varias veces de difícil abordaje. Alcanzar la remisión es uno de los objetivos, incorporando opciones terapéuticas. Objetivos: describir las características generales de los pacientes según el estado de la enfermedad y el uso de belimumab. Materiales y métodos: estudio de corte transversal, registro RELESSAR. Se definió el estado de la enfermedad como: remisión: SLEDAI=0 y sin corticoides; baja actividad de la enfermedad: SLEDAI >0 y ≤4 y sin corticoides; control no óptimo: SLEDAI >4 y cualquier dosis de corticoides. Resultados: se incluyeron 1.277 pacientes, 23,4% en remisión, 12,6% en baja actividad y 63,8% con control no óptimo. En este último grupo eran más jóvenes y con menor duración de la enfermedad; presentaban mayores índices de actividad y cronicidad, y mayor empleo de inmunosupresores. Solo el 22,3% de los pacientes con criterio potencial de uso de belimumab (lupus eritematoso sistémico activo a pesar del tratamiento estándar) lo recibía en ese momento. Las variables asociadas a hospitalizaciones fueron: terapia con corticoides, ciclofosfamida y mayor SLICC. Conclusiones: se refleja la complejidad del manejo de estos pacientes y se visualizan aspectos estructurales como la desigualdad. El uso del belimumab resultaría beneficioso en los pacientes seleccionados.

Introduction: lupus is a complex disease and often difficult to approach. Achieving remission is one of the objectives, incorporating therapeutic options. Objectives: to describe the characteristics of the patients and the use of belimumab, according to the status of the disease. Materials and methods: cross-sectional study. Patients of the RELESSAR registry. Stratification: Remission: SLEDAI=0 and without corticosteroids. Low disease activity SLEDAI> 0 and ≤4 and without corticosteroids and non-optimal control: SLEDAI> 4 and any dose of corticosteroids. Results: a total of 1,277 patients were included, 23.4% in remission, 12.6% in low disease activity and 63.8% in non-optimal control. The last group was younger and had a shorter duration of the disease. They had higher activity and chronicity indices and greater use of immunosuppressants. Only 22.3% of the patients with potential criteria for the use of belimumab (activity disease despite standard treatment) were receiving it. The variables associated with hospitalizations were: corticosteroids, cyclophosphamide and higher SLICC. Those associated with severe infection: mycophenolate mofetil, azathioprine, corticosteroids, and higher SLICC. Conclusions: the complexity of the management of these patients is reflected, visualizing structural aspects such as inequality. The use of belimumab could be beneficial in selected patients.

Lupus en Argentina. Pacientes no respondedores al tratamiento estándar y belimumab como posible opción. Datos del registro RELESSAR / Lupus in Argentina. Non-responders to standard treatment and belimumab as a possible option. RELESSAR record data

Introducción: el lupus es una enfermedad compleja y varias veces de difícil abordaje. Alcanzar la remisión es uno de los objetivos, incorporando opciones terapéuticas. Objetivos: describir las características generales de los pacientes según el estado de la enfermedad y el uso de belimumab. Materiales y métodos: estudio de corte transversal, registro RELESSAR. Se definió el estado de la enfermedad como: remisión: SLEDAI=0 y sin corticoides; baja actividad de la enfermedad: SLEDAI >0 y ≤4 y sin corticoides; control no óptimo: SLEDAI >4 y cualquier dosis de corticoides. Resultados: se incluyeron 1.277 pacientes, 23,4% en remisión, 12,6% en baja actividad y 63,8% con control no óptimo. En este último grupo eran más jóvenes y con menor duración de la enfermedad; presentaban mayores índices de actividad y cronicidad, y mayor empleo de inmunosupresores. Solo el 22,3% de los pacientes con criterio potencial de uso de belimumab (lupus eritematoso sistémico activo a pesar del tratamiento estándar) lo recibía en ese momento. Las variables asociadas a hospitalizaciones fueron: terapia con corticoides, ciclofosfamida y mayor SLICC. Conclusiones: se refleja la complejidad del manejo de estos pacientes y se visualizan aspectos estructurales como la desigualdad. El uso del belimumab resultaría beneficioso en los pacientes seleccionados.

Introduction: lupus is a complex disease and often difficult to approach. Achieving remission is one of the objectives, incorporating therapeutic options. Objectives: to describe the characteristics of the patients and the use of belimumab, according to the status of the disease. Materials and methods: cross-sectional study. Patients of the RELESSAR registry. Stratification: Remission: SLEDAI=0 and without corticosteroids. Low disease activity SLEDAI> 0 and ≤4 and without corticosteroids and non-optimal control: SLEDAI> 4 and any dose of corticosteroids. Results: a total of 1,277 patients were included, 23.4% in remission, 12.6% in low disease activity and 63.8% in non-optimal control. The last group was younger and had a shorter duration of the disease. They had higher activity and chronicity indices and greater use of immunosuppressants. Only 22.3% of the patients with potential criteria for the use of belimumab (activity disease despite standard treatment) were receiving it. The variables associated with hospitalizations were: corticosteroids, cyclophosphamide and higher SLICC. Those associated with severe infection: mycophenolate mofetil, azathioprine, corticosteroids, and higher SLICC. Conclusions: the complexity of the management of these patients is reflected, visualizing structural aspects such as inequality. The use of belimumab could be beneficial in selected patients.

Application of Belimumab in childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

There is no specific medicine for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Compared with adult-onset SLE, childhood-onset SLE is characterized by severe condition, rapid changes, and poor prognosis.Glucocorticoids are the first-line drugs for SLE.However, some are still difficult to be controlled using the conventional drugs like glucocorticoids and immunosuppressive agents.Belimumab is the only biological agent approved for the use in both adults and childhood-onset SLE, although its application in children lacks clinical experiences.This study aims to review the application of Belimumab in childhood-onset SLE.

Clinical observation of belimumab in the treatment of 12 children with active lupus nephritis / 中国小儿急救医学

Objective:To analyze the clinical data of children with active lupus nephritis(LN) with poor first-line treatment and further treatment with belimumab, and explore the efficacy and safety of belimumab in the treatment of children with LN, so as to provide experience and guidance for clinical treatment of children with LN.Methods:From August 2020 to September 2021, 12 children with LN whose systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index(SLEDAI)score was ≥8 and with poor first-line treatment were collected, and their clinical manifestations, treatment process, SLEDAI score, complement C3, complement C4, anti-dsDNA antibody titer, and proteinuria relief were analyzed retrospectively.Results:Before treatment with belimumab, the SLEDAI score was 8 in 3 cases, 10 in 5 cases, 12 in 2 cases and 16 in 2 cases.Theurine protein was positive in 6 cases.The anti-dsDNA antibody titer was higher than normal value in 8 cases.The complement C3 decreased in 8 cases and the complement C4 decreased in 6 cases.The SLEDAI scores and the anti-dsDNA antibody of 12 children and 24-hour urine protein quantification of 6 children with positive urine protein began to decrease within 4 weeks after treatment with belimumab.Anti-dsDNA antibody decreased to normal in 12th week and 24 h urine protein decreased to normal in 16th week.The levels of complement C3 and C4 began to rise within 4 weeks, complement C3 returned to normal within 24 weeks, and complement C4 returned to normal within 28 weeks.Conclusion:For LN children with poor response to first-line therapy or persistent disease activity, the addition of belimumab resulted in increased complement, decreased disease activity index and anti-dsDNA antibody titer, and effective relief of proteinuria.The application of belimumab has a certain effect on active LN children with poor response to first-line therapy, which is worthy of clinical promotion.

Curative effect and follow-up analysis of 15 children with refractory systemic lupus erythematosus treated with Belimumab / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

Objective:To analyze the outcome of 15 cases with refractory systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) treated with Belimumab, and evaluate the safety and efficacy of the therapy.Methods:A retrospective and real-world clinical research method was adopted.Fifteen children with confirmed refractory SLE and complete follow-up data were selected from the Department of Rheumatology, Beijing Children′s Hospital from April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2022.By comparing the changes of clinical symptoms, auxiliary examination results, SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI-2000) and Physician′s Global Assessment (PGA) scores as well as adverse events in different treatment periods (before treatment, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks, 6 months and 12 months after treatment), the safety and effectiveness of Belimumab treatment were all recorded.The counting data was expressed in percentage, the measurement data meeting the normal distribution was expressed in Mean±SD, and the two samples of measurement data were compared by t-test, P<0.05 means significant differences. Results:The ratio of male to female was 3∶2, and the onset age was (7.93±4.99) years; The basic treatment time was 4 months to 5 years and 1 month.There were 8 cases with lupus nephritis (LN), 2 cases suffering from hypocomplementemia for more than 1 year, 2 cases with central nervous system involvements, 2 cases complicated with antiphospholipid syndrome and 1 case with early-onset SLE.Of 8 LN cases, 1 case was complicated with neuropsychiatric lupus (NPLE) and distal femoral head infarction of both knees, and 3 cases were complicated with lumbar compression fractures and hip infarction.All patients were treated with regular traditional therapy to induce remission.During the maintenance period, the disease activity maintained at light to moderate levels, and it was difficult to reduce glucocorticoid.At baseline, SLEDAI-2000 score was 4-13, and PGA score was 1-2.50.Basic treatment includes glucocorticoids combined with immunosuppressants (Cyclosporine, Mycophenolate Mofetil, Leflunomide tablets) and antimalarial drugs, and Cyclophosphamide and/or Tripterygium Wilfordii were used at the same time according to the damage of target organs.The drug safety after intravenous injection of Belizumab showed that one patient in this group had respiratory tract infection symptoms 4 weeks after treatment; Another patient had a slight increase of alanine aminotransferase 8 weeks after treatment, and recovered to normal symptomatic treatment.No drug-related adverse reactions were found in the other 13 patients.After 4 weeks of treatment, the score of SLEDAI-2000 and PGA compared with the baseline level, and the difference was statistically significant (SLEDAI-2000 P=0.002; PGA P=0.006). There was no clinical recurrence.One patient with familial chilblain like lupus erythematosus showed significant improvement in rash 2 weeks after treatment, and low fever accompanied by increased rash 8 weeks after treatment; After 16 weeks of treatment, the body temperature was normal and the rash basically subsided. Conclusions:Belimumab is clinically effective in the treatment of refractory childhood SLE, with no serious adverse events reported.However, its long-term efficacy and safety need to be further studied by multi-center and long-term research with a large sample size.

ADE Risk Signal Mining Related to Belimumab Based on the FARES Database / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE：To prov ide referen ce for clinical safe and rational use of belimumab by mining the risk signals of adverse drug event （ADE）. METHODS ：ADE reports related to belimumab were collected from FDA adverse event reporting system（FAERS）from the first quarter of 2015 to the first quarter of 2021. The reporting odds ratio （ROR）method and the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency （MHRA）method were adopted to mine the ADE risk signals related to belimumab，setting the threshold as the number of reports ＞3 and the lower limit of 95％ CI ＞1（ROR method ）and the proportional reporting ratio （PRR）＞2，and χ2 ＞4（MHRA method ）. ADEs were counted and classified by using the preferred system organ class （SOC）and preferred term （PT）of Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities （MedDRA）. RESULTS & CONCLUSIONS：A total of 3 529 ADE reports with belimumab as the primary suspicious drug were screened ，in which female patients（90.31％）were much more than male patients （6.15％）；age distribution was concentrated in 18-59 years old （41.80％）. There were 1 234 cases（34.97％）of severe ADE reports ，mainly involving hospital or prolonged hospital stay. Most of the reporters were consumers or other non-medical professionals （81.84％）. North America reported the most （70.39％）and the main reporting country was the United States （2 029 reports）. A total of 180 PTs were mined from 3 529 reports，in addition to PTs associated with primary disease （systemic lupus erythematosus ，pain，arthralgia，pyrexia，weight decreased ，swelling，oropharyngeal pain ， etc.），PTs related to medication error （product dose omission ，inappropriate schedule of product administration ，underdose， product availability issue ，etc.）and PTs related to infection （influenza，urinary tract infection ，infection，sinusitis，etc.）were reported in a large number of cases. Twenty-six SOCs were involved ，the top 10 SOC in ADE reports were all kinds of injuries ， poisoning and surgical complications （2 225 reports），infections and infectious diseases （1 247 reports），general disorders and administration site conditions （1 196 reports），musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders （1 195 reports），surgical and medical procedures（515 reports），etc. PTs in SOC in the first place （all kinds of injuries ，poisoning and surgical complications ）of ADE reports were all related to medication error ；herpes zoster ，kidney infection and cellulitis in SOC in the second place （infections and infectious diseases ）of ADE reports were not included in the drug instruction of belimumab ；most PTs in SOCs such as various nervous system diseases ，immune system diseases ，mental diseases ，benign，malignant and unknown tumors （including cystic and polypoid）which were taken attention in clinic were not included in the drug instruction of belimumab. It is suggested to avoid medication errors as far as possible in clinical use of belimumab ，and to guard against adverse reactions such as herpes zoster ， kidney infection ，cellulitis and various nervous system diseases ，immune system diseases and mental diseases. In addition ，the patients with malignant tumor or related history should use belizumab carefully.

Recent advances in the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus with belimumab in children / 中国当代儿科杂志

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease involving multiple organs, and lupus nephritis (LN) is the most common renal complication of SLE. Belimumab is a fully humanized monoclonal antibody that can reduce the number of B cells, thereby reducing the formation of autoantibodies. Belimumab can improve SLE response index and SLE disease activity score and delay the progression of LN in both adults and children and thus plays an important role in the treatment of SLE and LN. This article reviews related research reports of belimumab used in the treatment of children and adults with SLE in China and overseas and analyzes the efficacy and safety of belimumab in pediatric patients, in order to provide a reference for the clinical application of belimumab in children with SLE.

Efficacy and safety of belimumab in the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus / 中华风湿病学杂志

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of belimumab in the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).Methods:Retrospective analysis was made in 41 patients with SLE who were treated with belimumab in our hospital. The demographic data, clinical features, laboratory test results and treatment-related adverse events (AE) were collected and analyzed. Paired sample t test and Wilcoxon test were used to compare and analyze the changes of laboratory indexes before and after treatment. Results:The follow-up time of the 41 patients was (3.0±1.0) months, and 19 patients stopped belimumab because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the duration for belimumab withdrawal was (2.6±0.9) months. The most common clinical manifestation was impaired renal function (63.4%, 26 cases), followed by musculoskeletal impairment (58.5%, 24 cases). Before and after treatment, the dose of glucocorticoid was significantly decreased [15(9, 35) mg/d vs 13(8, 25) mg/d, Z=-3.573, P<0.01], the systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index (SLEDAI)-2000 was significantly decreased [5(4, 8) vs 2(2, 4), Z=-4.446, P<0.01], the anti-double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) antibody [enzyme-linked immune-sorbent assay (ELISA)] level was significantly decreased [96(26, 300) vs 36(10, 139), Z=-3.436, P<0.01], the complement C3 level was significantly increased [(0.62±0.22) g/L vs (0.74±0.20) g/L, t=-5.454, P<0.01], the complement C4 level was significantly increased [(0.13±0.07) g/L vs (0.17±0.07) g/L, t=-5.851, P<0.01), the hemoglobin level was significantly increased [(117±15) g/L vs (125±16) g/L, t=-4.236, P<0.01) and A/G level was significantly increased [(1.30±1.36) vs (1.49±0.29), t=-5.174, P<0.01]. Four patients (13.8%) had adverse events during treatment with belimumab, including 1 case of upper respiratory tract infection, 2 cases of urinary tract bacterial infections and 1 case of herpes zoster. Conclusion:Belimumab is safe and effective in the treatment of SLE. It can significantly reduce the dosage of glucocorticoid and improve anemia, but the specific mechanism needs to be further studied.

Lupus ampolloso: un verdadero reto diagnóstico y terapéutico / Lupus bullous: a true diagnostic and therapeutic challenge

El lupus eritematoso sistémico (LES) esuna enfermedad de tipo autoinmune en donde existen múltiples factores que inducen una respuesta inmunológica no controlada en un individuo que genéticamente está predispuesto, presentándose una variedad de manifestaciones clínicas que muchas veces se convierten en un verdadero reto diagnóstico y terapéutico como es el caso de sus presentaciones en piel. Describiremos a continuación un caso de un paciente género masculino con diagnostico LES con lesiones cutáneas extensas severas con diagnóstico clínico yhistopatológico sugestivo de lupus ampolloso refractarias a tratamiento estándar con corticoterapia e inmunomoduladores con evolución tórpida en su curso, que requiere posteriormente inicio de terapia biológica con Belimumab observándose una remisión clínica significativa de las lesiones y contribuyendo además a disminuir las dosis de corticoides utilizadas desde su ingreso . Se revisaránaspectos en relación del LES en hombres en lo que refiere a epidemiologia, manifestaciones cutáneas, hallazgos histopatológicos, diagnóstico diferencial y opciones terapéuticas actuales.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease in which multiple factors induce an uncontrolled immune response in an individual who is genetically predisposed, presenting a variety of clinical manifestations that often become a real diagnostic challenge and Therapeutic as in the case of their skin presentations. We will now describe a case of a malepatient with a SLE diagnosis with severe extensive skin lesions with clinical and histopathological diagnosis suggestive of blistering lupus refractory to standard treatment with corticosteroid therapy and immunomodulators with a morphologic evolution in their course, which then requires the initiation of biological therapy with Belimumab observed a significant clinical remission of the lesions and also contributing to decrease the doses of corticosteroids used since their entry. We will review aspects related to SLE in men in terms of epidemiology, cutaneous manifestations, histopathological findings, differential diagnosis and current therapeutic options

Efectos del belimumab en pacientes colombianos con lupus eritematoso sistémico, un estudio prospectivo observacional / Effects of belimumab in Colombian patients with systemic lupus erythematosus; a prospective observational study

Resumen Introducción: El belimumab es un anticuerpo monoclonal tipo IgG1 que se une e inhibe la forma soluble de Blys (estimulador de linfocitos B) y ha mostrado efectividad en el manejo del lupus eritematoso sistémico (LES). Sin embargo, se desconoce su efectividad en una población tan variable étnicamente como la colombiana. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio prospectivo observacional entre febrero de 2015 y febrero de 2016, en pacientes con LES, con enfermedad activa a pesar del tratamiento estándar, quienes fueron tratados con belimumab. Resultados: El uso de belimumab se relacionó con una mejoría significativa en los compromisos articular, cutáneo y hematológico, con aumento de los niveles de complemento, disminución de las exacerbaciones por LES y de las hospitalizaciones, además de una menor actividad calculada por SLEDAI después de 3 meses de utilización y con una estabilidad mantenida hasta los 9 meses. Conclusiones: Se observó que el belimumab es útil en pacientes colombianos con LES que son refractarios a la terapia estándar, especialmente en manifestaciones articulares, hematológicas y cutáneas, en un entorno de pacientes de la vida real.

Abstract Introduction: Belimumab, a monoclonal type Ig G1 antibody that binds and inhibits the Belimumab soluble form of the Blys (B lymphocyte stimulator) has shown to be effective in the manamanagement of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, its effectiveness is unknown in an ethnically variable population, such as in Colombia. Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted between February 2015 and February 2016 on patients with active SLE disease despite being on standard treatment and who were treated with Belimumab. Results: Belimumab showed a significant improvement in joint, cutaneous and haematological involvement, with an increase in complement levels, a decrease in lupus crises and hospital admissions. After 3 months there was lower activity, calculated by SLEDAI, with stability for 9 months. Conclusions: In a real-life patient setting, it was observed that belimumab was useful in Colombian patients with SLE and refractory to standard therapy, especially in the joint, haematological, and cutaneous manifestations.

Papel de la citocina BAFF en las enfermedades autoinmunes: rol fisiopatológico y estrategias terapéuticas / Role of the cytokine BAFF in autoimmune diseases: physiopathology and therapeutic targets

El complejo BAFF (factor activador de células B) compuesto por la citocina BAFF, APRIL y sus receptores -BAFF-R (BR3), TACI y BCMA- influyen en la sobrevida periférica, en la maduración de los linfocitos B y en el cambio de clase de las inmunoglobulinas, con múltiples implicaciones clínicas potenciales. Las funciones biológicas de BAFF y su relevancia en varios desórdenes clínicos -autoinmunes, neoplásicos, infecciosos, incluyendo las terapias BAFF dirigidas- son revisadas y discutidas en el presente artículo. Los niveles séricos de BAFF/APRIL se encuentran incrementados en las enfermedades autoinmunes en las que sus concentraciones se relacionan con los títulos de anticuerpos, actividad, progresión de la enfermedad e incluso compromiso orgánico, haciendo de su inhibición un blanco terapéutico atractivo

The BAFF complex (B cell activator factor) composed by the BAFF cytokine, APRIL and their receptors -BAFF-R (BR3), TACI, BCMA- influences B-lymphocyte maturation, peripheral survival and immunoglobulins class isotype switching, with multiple potential clinical implications. In this review we discuss BAFF biologic functions and it relevance in several clinical disorders -autoimmune, neoplastic, infectious and BAFF therapies-. BAFF/APRIL