A Multianalyte Assay Panel With Cell-Bound Complement Activation Products Predicts Transition of Probable Lupus to American College of Rheumatology-Classified Lupus.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the usefulness of biomarkers to predict the evolution of patients suspected of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), designated as probable SLE (pSLE), into classifiable SLE according to the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) classification criteria. METHODS: Patients suspected of SLE were enrolled by lupus experts if they fulfilled three ACR criteria for SLE and were followed for approximately 1-3 years to evaluate transition into ACR-classifiable SLE. Individual cell-bound complement activation products (CB-CAPs), serum complement proteins (C3 and C4), and autoantibodies were measured by flow cytometry, turbidimetry, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. Blood levels of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) were measured by mass spectrometry. A multianalyte assay panel (MAP), which includes CB-CAPs, was also evaluated. A MAP of greater than 0.8 reflected the optimal cutoff for transition to SLE. Time to fulfillment of ACR criteria was evaluated by Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: Of the 92 patients with pSLE enrolled, 74 had one or two follow-up visits 9-35 months after enrollment for a total of 128 follow-up visits. Overall, 28 patients with pSLE (30.4%) transitioned to ACR-classifiable SLE, including 16 (57%) in the first year and 12 (43%) afterwards. A MAP score of greater than 0.8 at enrollment predicted transition to classifiable SLE during the follow-up period (hazard ratio = 2.72; P = 0.012), whereas individual biomarkers or fulfillment of Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics criteria did not. HCQ therapy was not associated with the prevention of transition to SLE. CONCLUSION: Approximately one-third of patients with pSLE transitioned within the study period. MAP of greater than 0.8 predicted disease evolution into classifiable SLE.

Real-World Effectiveness of Belimumab in the Treatment of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Pooled Analysis of Multi-Country Data from the OBSErve Studies.

INTRODUCTION: The real-world effectiveness of belimumab for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in six countries was evaluated in the OBSErve program. The aim of this post hoc analysis (GSK study 206351) was to pool individual patient OBSErve data to further evaluate the effectiveness of belimumab in a large sample of patients with SLE. METHODS: OBSErve (Argentina, Canada, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, and the USA) enrolled adults ≥ 18 years of age with SLE, who were prescribed belimumab as part of standard therapy (index: date of belimumab initiation). Endpoints (month 6 vs. index) included physician-assessed overall clinical response to belimumab in the overall population (primary) and high disease activity subgroups (secondary; patients with a SLEDAI-2K/SELENA-SLEDAI score ≥ 10 or patients with high anti-dsDNA or low complement at index); other secondary endpoints included changes in glucocorticosteroid (GCS) use and changes in disease activity. Factors associated with physician-assessed overall clinical response were also evaluated. RESULTS: In total, 830 patients were included in the overall population (mean [standard deviation (SD)] age: 41.9 [12.57] years; female: 89.3%; 60.4% from the USA). Nearly half (48.1%) of belimumab-treated patients experienced a ≥ 50% physician-assessed improvement in their overall manifestations, and 13% achieved a near normalization of their condition (equal to ≥ 80% improvement). Initiating belimumab while on high-dose (> 7.5 mg/day) GCS use was associated with ≥ 50% clinical improvement at month 6 (OR: 1.9, p = 0.003). Most (78.1%; n = 518/663) patients were able to reduce or discontinue their oral GCS dose after 6 months of belimumab, with a mean (SD) change of - 8.5 (10.74) mg/day prednisone-equivalent. The mean (SD) change from belimumab initiation in disease activity score (SLEDAI-2K/SELENA-SLEDAI) was - 5.7 (4.5; n = 344). CONCLUSIONS: Belimumab improves clinical manifestations of SLE and is associated with GCS dose reductions in a real-world clinical setting, supporting the real-world effectiveness of belimumab for SLE.

Cell-bound complement activation products associate with lupus severity in SLE.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the association between lupus severity and cell-bound complement activation products (CB-CAPs) or low complement proteins C3 and C4. METHODS: All subjects (n=495) fulfilled the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) classification criteria for SLE. Abnormal CB-CAPs (erythrocyte-bound C4d or B-lymphocyte-bound C4d levels >99th percentile of healthy) and complement proteins C3 and C4 were determined using flow cytometry and turbidimetry, respectively. Lupus severity was estimated using the Lupus Severity Index (LSI). Statistical analysis consisted of multivariable linear regression and groups comparisons. RESULTS: Abnormal CB-CAPs were more prevalent than low complement values irrespective of LSI levels (62% vs 38%, respectively, p<0.0001). LSI was low (median 5.44, IQR: 4.77-6.93) in patients with no complement abnormality, intermediate in patients with abnormal CB-CAPs (median 6.09, IQR: 5.31-8.20) and high in the group presenting with both abnormal CB-CAPs and low C3 and/or C4 (median 7.85, IQR: 5.51-8.37). Odds of immunosuppressant use was higher in subjects with LSI ≥5.95 compared with subjects with LSI <5.95 (1.60 vs 0.53, p<0.0001 for both). Multivariable regression analysis revealed that higher LSI scores associated with abnormal CB-CAPs-but not low C3/C4-after adjusting for younger age, race and longer disease duration (p=0.0001), which were also independent predictors of disease severity (global R2=0.145). CONCLUSION: Abnormalities in complement activation as measured by CB-CAPs are associated with increased LSI.

Complement Activation in Patients With Probable Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Ability to Predict Progression to American College of Rheumatology-Classified Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the frequency of cell-bound complement activation products (CB-CAPs) as a marker of complement activation in patients with suspected systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and the usefulness of this biomarker as a predictor of the evolution of probable SLE into SLE as classified by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria. METHODS: Patients in whom SLE was suspected by lupus experts and who fulfilled 3 ACR classification criteria for SLE (probable SLE) were enrolled, along with patients with established SLE as classified by both the ACR and the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) criteria, patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS), and patients with other rheumatic diseases. Individual CB-CAPs were measured by flow cytometry, and positivity rates were compared to those of commonly assessed biomarkers, including serum complement proteins (C3 and C4) and autoantibodies. The frequency of a positive multianalyte assay panel (MAP), which includes CB-CAPs, was also evaluated. Probable SLE cases were followed up prospectively. RESULTS: The 92 patients with probable SLE were diagnosed more recently than the 53 patients with established SLE, and their use of antirheumatic medications was lower. At the enrollment visit, more patients with probable SLE were positive for CB-CAPs (28%) or MAP (40%) than had low complement levels (9%) (P = 0.0001 for each). In probable SLE, MAP scores of >0.8 at enrollment predicted fulfillment of a fourth ACR criterion within 18 months (hazard ratio 3.11, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Complement activation occurs in some patients with probable SLE and can be detected with higher frequency by evaluating CB-CAPs and MAP than by assessing traditional serum complement protein levels. A MAP score above 0.8 predicts transition to classifiable SLE according to ACR criteria.

Baricitinib, a Janus kinase inhibitor, in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Janus kinases (JAKs) play an important role in intracellular signaling for multiple cytokines in the pathogenesis of RA. Baricitinib is an oral, selective JAK 1 and 2 inhibitor which has been shown to be effective in the treatment of RA in several clinical trials. This meta-analysis aims to aggregate currently available data to assess the overall efficacy and safety of baricitinib in RA. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane CENTRAL from inception through 09/24/17 with restriction to English language. We excluded meeting abstracts without full text publication. We used RevMan 5.3 to perform meta-analysis between groups on baricitinib (2 and 4 mg daily) and placebo using random effect model calculating odds ratio (OR) as well as 95% confidence interval (CI). Compared to placebo, 2 mg of baricitinib was more effective in achieving ACR20 [54 vs. 36.6%; OR 2.09; 95% CI 1.60-2.71; p < 0.00001; I2 0%], ACR50 [31.6 vs. 10.3%; OR 2.3; 95% CI 1.68-3.15; p < 0.00001; I2 0%], and ACR70 responses [18.7 vs. 5.1%; OR 4.05; 95% CI 2.54-6.44; p < 0.00001; I2 0%]. Similarly, 4 mg of baricitinib daily was more effective than placebo. Baricitinib 2 mg once daily did not increase any adverse events [65.3 vs. 62.4%; OR 1.03; 95% CI 0.80-1.34; p = 0.8; I2 0%], serious adverse events [3.5 vs. 5%; OR 0.68; 95% CI 0.37-1.27; p = 0.22; I2 0%], and herpes zoster [1.2 vs. 0.4%; OR 2.34; 95% CI 0.27-20.47; p = 0.44; I2 37%] as compared to placebo. Similarly, 4 mg of baricitinib did not increase the risk of serious adverse events but increased herpes zoster infection [OR 3.88; 95% CI 1.36-11.06; p = 0.01; I2 0%] when compared to placebo. Baricitinib is effective in treatment of RA, and did not appear to have significant safety concerns during the first 6 months of treatment.

Calcium and vitamin D supplementation and incident rheumatoid arthritis: the Women's Health Initiative Calcium plus Vitamin D trial.

To determine whether calcium plus vitamin D supplementation (CaD) affects incidence of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Participants enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative CaD trial (n = 36,282) were randomized to 1,000 mg calcium carbonate plus 400 IU of vitamin D(3) daily or to placebo. Incident RA cases were identified via self-report and validated rheumatic medication use. Cox proportional hazards models were used to compare RA incidence in the treatment versus placebo groups. The analysis included 32,435 women without the history of RA, of which 163 incident RA cases were identified over an average of 5.1 years. No significant differences in demographics, total personal vitamin D intake [P = 0.36], or solar irradiance [P = 0.68] were seen between the groups. In intention-to-treat analyses, no differences were observed in RA incidence [HR 1.04, 95% CI 0.76, 1.41]. No significant modifying effects were seen for stratum of age, solar irradiance, or total vitamin D intake, overall or when adjusted for adherence. Significant effect modifications were seen between CaD and total vitamin D intake and CaD and solar irradiance that suggest increased RA incidence with high vitamin D exposure. CaD supplementation did not demonstrate a significant effect on RA incidence in postmenopausal women. Modifying effects between CaD and both solar irradiance and dietary vitamin D intake are suggestive that multiple high vitamin D exposures may increase RA incidence. Further research is needed to fully explore the benefits and possible adverse effects of vitamin D supplementation on RA.

The impact of vitamin D on dendritic cell function in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

BACKGROUND: Excessive activity of dendritic cells (DCs) is postulated as a central disease mechanism in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). Vitamin D is known to reduce responsiveness of healthy donor DCs to the stimulatory effects of Type I IFN. As vitamin D deficiency is reportedly common in SLE, we hypothesized that vitamin D might play a regulatory role in the IFNalpha amplification loop in SLE. Our goals were to investigate the relationship between vitamin D levels and disease activity in SLE patients and to investigate the effects of vitamin D on DC activation and expression of IFNalpha-regulated genes in vitro. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In this study, 25-OH vitamin D (25-D) levels were measured in 198 consecutively recruited SLE patients. Respectively, 29.3% and 11.8% of African American and Hispanic SLE patient had 25-D levels <10 ng/ml. The degree of vitamin D deficiency correlated inversely with disease activity; R = -.234, p = .002. In 19 SLE patients stratified by 25-D levels, there were no differences between circulating DC number and phenotype. Monocyte-derived DCs (MDDCs) of SLE patients were normally responsive to the regulatory effects of vitamin D in vitro as evidenced by decreased activation in response to LPS stimulation in the presence of 1,25-D. Additionally, vitamin D conditioning reduced expression of IFNalpha-regulated genes by healthy donor and SLE MDDCs in response to factors in activating SLE plasma. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: We report on severe 25-D deficiency in a substantial percentage of SLE patients tested and demonstrate an inverse correlation with disease activity. Our results suggest that vitamin D supplementation will contribute to restoring immune homeostasis in SLE patients through its inhibitory effects on DC maturation and activation. We are encouraged to support the importance of adequate vitamin D supplementation and the need for a clinical trial to assess whether vitamin D supplementation affects IFNalpha activity in vivo and, most importantly, improves clinical outcome.

Urinary TWEAK as a biomarker of lupus nephritis: a multicenter cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: TNF-like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK) has been implicated as a mediator of chronic inflammatory processes via prolonged activation of the NF-kappaB pathway in several tissues, including the kidney. Evidence for the importance of TWEAK in the pathogenesis of lupus nephritis (LN) has been recently introduced. Thus, TWEAK levels may serve as an indication of LN presence and activity. METHODS: Multicenter cohorts of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients and controls were recruited for cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis of urinary TWEAK (uTWEAK) and/or serum TWEAK (sTWEAK) levels as potential biomarkers of LN. The performance of TWEAK as a biomarker for nephritis was compared with routinely used laboratory tests in lupus patients, including anti-double stranded DNA antibodies and levels of C3 and C4. RESULTS: uTWEAK levels were significantly higher in LN patients than in non-LN SLE patients and other disease control groups (P = 0.039). Furthermore, uTWEAK was better at distinguishing between LN and non-LN SLE patients than anti-DNA antibodies and complement levels, while high uTWEAK levels predicted LN in SLE patients with an odds ratio of 7.36 (95% confidence interval = 2.25 to 24.07; P = 0.001). uTWEAK levels peaked during LN flares, and were significantly higher during the flare than at 4 and 6 months prior to or following the flare event. A linear mixed-effects model showed a significant association between uTWEAK levels in SLE patients and their disease activity over time (P = 0.008). sTWEAK levels, however, were not found to correlate with the presence of LN or the degree of nephritis activity. CONCLUSIONS: High uTWEAK levels are indicative of LN, as opposed to non-LN SLE and other healthy and disease control populations, and reflect renal disease activity in longitudinal follow-up. Thus, our study further supports a role for TWEAK in the pathogenesis of LN, and provides strong evidence for uTWEAK as a candidate clinical biomarker for LN.

B lymphocyte stimulator (BLyS) isoforms in systemic lupus erythematosus: disease activity correlates better with blood leukocyte BLyS mRNA levels than with plasma BLyS protein levels.

Considerable evidence points to a role for B lymphocyte stimulator (BLyS) overproduction in murine and human systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Nevertheless, the correlation between circulating levels of BLyS protein and disease activity in human SLE is modest at best. This may be due to an inadequacy of the former to reflect endogenous BLyS overproduction faithfully, in that steady-state protein levels are affected not just by production rates but also by rates of peripheral utilization and excretion. Increased levels of BLyS mRNA may better reflect increased in vivo BLyS production, and therefore they may correlate better with biologic and clinical sequelae of BLyS overexpression than do circulating levels of BLyS protein. Accordingly, we assessed peripheral blood leukocyte levels of BLyS mRNA isoforms (full-length BLyS and DeltaBLyS) and plasma BLyS protein levels in patients with SLE, and correlated these levels with laboratory and clinical features. BLyS protein, full-length BLyS mRNA, and DeltaBLyS mRNA levels were greater in SLE patients (n = 60) than in rheumatoid arthritis patients (n = 60) or normal control individuals (n = 30). Although full-length BLyS and DeltaBLyS mRNA levels correlated significantly with BLyS protein levels in the SLE cohort, BLyS mRNA levels were more closely associated with serum immunoglobulin levels and SLE Disease Activity Index scores than were BLyS protein levels. Moreover, changes in SLE Disease Activity Index scores were more closely associated with changes in BLyS mRNA levels than with changes in BLyS protein levels among the 37 SLE patients from whom repeat blood samples were obtained. Thus, full-length BLyS and DeltaBLyS mRNA levels are elevated in SLE and are more closely associated with disease activity than are BLyS protein levels. BLyS mRNA levels may be a helpful biomarker in the clinical monitoring of SLE patients.

Pulmonary involvement in microscopic polyangiitis.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Microscopic polyangiitis is a systemic necrotizing vasculitis that affects small vessels, resulting in a wide spectrum of organ involvement including the kidneys and the lungs. This paper reviews recent insights and observations into the pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, and treatment of pulmonary involvement in microscopic polyangiitis. RECENT FINDINGS: The spectrum of clinical presentations ranges from antecedent interstitial fibrosis to frank hemoptysis secondary to capillaritis. Computerized tomography imaging reveals a variety of pulmonary findings, including ground-glass attenuation, consolidation, thickening of bronchovascular bundles, and honeycombing. Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies are important in diagnosis as well as in the pathogenesis and prognosis of microscopic polyangiitis. There is more evidence to support the various therapeutic modalities currently used in pulmonary manifestations of microscopic polyangiitis, including induction therapy with cyclophosphamide, the use of other novel pharmacologic agents such as the tumor necrosis factor-alpha blockers and rituximab, and nonpharmacologic modalities such as plasmapheresis and ventilatory management. SUMMARY: The pulmonary manifestations of microscopic polyangiitis are diverse and often difficult to manage; however, as our understanding and experience grows so does our ability to successfully diagnose and treat these patients.