ABSTRACT
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic multiorgan autoimmune disease with a wide range of clinical manifestations and a characteristic renal involvement leading to proteinuria. There remains an unmet need in SLE disease management as standard treatments including anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroids, antimalarial agents, and immunosuppressant therapies are not always effective in moderating disease activity. We report a 41-year-old Caucasian female patient with a 12-year history of SLE complicated by debilitating nocturnal fevers and WHO Class IV lupus nephritis who for years was refractory to standard therapies but improved dramatically with canakinumab, an interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß)antagonist. This is the first case of the use of canakinumab in SLE. The standard interventions demonstrated no significant impact on her proteinuria (>3 g/24 h), joint complaints, and nocturnal fevers. Additionally, her anti-dsDNA levels remained elevated, and her kidney function did not improve significantly. In contrast, the introduction of canakinumab provided a rapid reduction in nocturnal fevers within 6 weeks (i.e. decreased in frequency by 90%). Her proteinuria has also dropped from 3.5 g/24 h to 0.274 g/24 h, and her prednisone has been tapered and discontinued. In addition, her renal function has improved with an average glomerular filtration rate (GFR) level of 84.14 ± 7.56. There has also been a significant decrease in both erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and anti-dsDNA levels compared with the previous treatments. We report that canakinumab could potentially represent the next step in SLE patients' treatment who have failed conventional therapies or who are intolerant to them. In this case, the addition of canakinumab facilitated the tapering and ultimately discontinuing of corticosteroids. This case represents the first successful use of canakinumab in the treatment of refractory fevers and diffuse proliferative glomerulonephritis in SLE.
Canakinumab in refractory systemic lupus erythematosus: A successful case report for managing recurrent fevers and kidney inflammation Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a long-term autoimmune disease that affects multiple organs in the body, including the kidneys. Some patients with SLE do not respond well to standard treatments, such as anti-inflammatory drugs and immunosuppressants. This case report describes a 41-year-old woman with SLE and severe kidney inflammation who did not improve with conventional therapies. However, when she was given canakinumab, a medication that blocks a protein called IL-1ß, her symptoms improved significantly. Within six weeks, her fevers decreased by 90%, her kidney function improved, and her protein levels in the urine dropped. This case suggests that canakinumab may be a promising treatment option for SLE patients who do not respond to or cannot tolerate traditional therapies. It also shows that canakinumab helped reduce the need for corticosteroids in this patient. This is the first successful use of canakinumab to treat refractory fevers and kidney inflammation in SLE patients.
