Search

Abstract Introduction Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is associated with increased cardiovascular (CV) risk and mortality. Aortic stiffness measured by carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) has been shown to predict CV risk in the general population. The present study aimed to examine cfPWV values of patients with PsA compared to healthy controls and to evaluate associations of cfPWV with patient- and disease-associated characteristics, as well as with an established traditional CV prediction score of the European Society of Cardiology (Systemic Coronary Risk Evaluation; SCORE), for the first time. Methods cfPWV and SCORE were evaluated in patients with PsA and healthy controls, along with clinical and laboratory disease parameters. Differences in cfPWV measurements between the two groups and associations of cfPWV with patient- and disease-associated characteristics were statistically evaluated. Results A total of 150 patients with PsA (PSOCARD cohort) and 88 control subjects were recruited. cfPWV was significantly higher in the PsA group compared to controls, even after adjustment for confounders (p adj = 0.034). Moreover, cfPWV was independently associated with disease duration (r = 0.304, p = 0.001), age (rho = 0.688, p

Abstract Aims/Introduction Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) vaccinations have been proven to be generally safe in healthy populations. However, the data on vaccine safety in patients with type 1 diabetes are scarce. This study aimed to evaluate the frequency and severity of short‐term (

Objective This international task force aimed to provide healthcare professionals and persons living with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with consensus-based recommendations for physical activity and exercise in SLE.Methods Based on evidence from a systematic literature review and expert opinion, 3 overarching principles and 15 recommendations were agreed on by Delphi consensus.Results The overarching principles highlight the importance of shared decision-making and the need to explain the benefits of physical activity to persons living with SLE and other healthcare providers. The 15 specific recommendations state that physical activity is generally recommended for all people with SLE, but in some instances, a medical evaluation may be needed to rule out contraindications. Pertaining to outdoor activity, photoprotection is necessary. Both aerobic and resistance training programmes are recommended, with a gradual increase in frequency and intensity, which should be adapted for each individual, and ideally supervised by qualified professionals.Conclusion In summary, the consensus reached by the international task force provides a valuable framework for the integration of physical activity and exercise into the management of SLE, offering a tailored evidence-based and eminence-based approach to enhance the well-being of individuals living with this challenging autoimmune condition.

The paradigm of drug approval in SLE currently relies on successful large phase III randomised controlled trials and a set of primary, secondary and additional end points. Taken together, these outcomes offer a nuanced understanding of the efficacy and safety of the investigational agent. In this review, we thoroughly examine the main outcomes used in SLE trials and highlight unmet requirements as well as potential venues for future trial design in SLE. Disease activity indices can be broadly categorised into global-specific and organ-specific indices, in particular for skin, joints and kidneys, but there is no universal consensus about their use in clinical trials. Because each of these instruments has its own intrinsic strengths and weaknesses, the assessment of treatment response has progressed from relying solely on one individual disease activity index to using composite responder definitions. Those are typically measured from the trial baseline to the end point assessment date and may be combined with the need to taper and maintain glucocorticoids (GCs) within prespecified ranges. Remission and low disease activity are two critical states in the perspective of ‘Treat-to-Target’ trials, but are not fully recognised by regulators. While significant progress has been made in clinical trial outcomes for SLE, there is a clear need for continued innovation. Addressing these challenges will require collaboration between researchers, clinicians, patients as well as with regulatory agencies to refine existing outcome measures, incorporate meaningful and ethnically diverse patient perspectives, foster relevant digital opportunities and explore new therapeutic avenues, including early use of investigational agents. By doing so, we can advance our ability to manage SLE effectively and safely and improve the lives of those living with this complex and impactful autoimmune disease.

IntroductionSystemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a clinically heterogeneous disease that presents a challenge for clinicians. To identify potential biomarkers for diagnosis and disease activity in SLE, we investigated a selected yet broad panel of cytokines and autoantibodies in patients with SLE, healthy controls (HC), and patients with other autoimmune diseases (AIDs).MethodsSerum samples from 422 SLE patients, 546 HC, and 1223 other AIDs were analysed within the frame of the European PRECISESADS project (NTC02890121). Cytokine levels were determined using Luminex panels, and autoantibodies using different immunoassays.ResultsOf the 83 cytokines analysed, 29 differed significantly between patients with SLE and HC. Specifically, CCL8, CXCL13, and IL-1RA levels were elevated in patients with active, but not inactive, SLE versus HC, as well as in patients with SLE versus other AIDs. The levels of these cytokines also correlated with SLE Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K) scores, among five other cytokines. Overall, the occurrence of autoantibodies was similar across SLEDAI-2K organ domains, and the correlations between autoantibodies and activity in different organ domains were weak.DiscussionOur findings suggest that, upon validation, CCL8, CXCL13, and IL-1RA could serve as promising serum biomarkers of activity in SLE.

ObjectiveTo investigate whether abnormal BMI is associated with health-related quality of life (HRQoL) impairments, defined as patient-reported problems within the different dimensions of the three-level EQ-5D (EQ-5D-3L), before and after treatment for active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).Patients and methodsWe conducted a post-hoc analysis of data from two phase III clinical trials of belimumab in SLE, i.e., BLISS-52 (n = 865) and BLISS-76 (n = 819). Underweight was defined as BMI

Through this systematic literature review, we assembled evidence to inform the EULAR recommendations for the non-pharmacological management of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and systemic sclerosis (SSc). We screened articles published between January 2000 and June 2021. Studies selected for data extraction (118 for SLE and 92 for SSc) were thematically categorised by the character of their intervention. Of 208 articles included, 51 were classified as robust in critical appraisal. Physical activity was the most studied management strategy and was found to be efficacious in both diseases. Patient education and self-management also constituted widely studied topics. Many studies on SLE found psychological interventions to improve quality of life. Studies on SSc found phototherapy and laser treatment to improve cutaneous disease manifestations. In summary, non-pharmacological management of SLE and SSc encompasses a wide range of interventions, which can be combined and provided either with or without adjunct pharmacological treatment but should not aim to substitute the latter when this is deemed required. While some management strategies i.e., physical exercise and patient education, are already established in current clinical practice in several centres, others e.g., phototherapy and laser treatment, show both feasibility and efficacy, yet require testing in more rigorous trials than those hitherto conducted.

Aberrant activation of the Janus kinase (JAK) and signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) pathway is common in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), conferring immune-mediated properties in target tissues. Multiple cytokines activate different combinations of JAKs and STATs to alter the cell fate of target tissue and induce end-organ damage. Thus, the simultaneous blockade of several different cytokines by small molecules acting downstream intracellular signalling has gained traction. JAK inhibitors have been approved for the treatment of several rheumatic diseases, yet hitherto not for SLE. Nevertheless, JAK inhibitors including tofacitinib, baricitinib, and deucravacitinib have shown merit as treatments for SLE. Tofacitinib, a JAK1/3 inhibitor, reduced cholesterol levels, improved vascular function, and decreased the type I interferon signature in SLE patients. Baricitinib, a JAK1/2 inhibitor, demonstrated significant improvements in lupus rashes and arthritis in a phase 2 and a phase 3 randomised controlled trial, but the results were not replicated in another phase 3 trial. Deucravacitinib, a selective tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2) inhibitor, yielded greater response rates than placebo in a phase 2 trial of SLE and will be investigated in larger phase 3 trials. TYK2 is activated in response to cytokines actively involved in lupus pathogenesis; this review highlights the potential of targeting TYK2 as a promising therapy for SLE.

ObjectivesTo investigate whether self-reported EQ-5D full health state (FHS) after therapeutic intervention for active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is associated with a reduced risk to accrue organ damage. In a separate analysis, we sought to investigate associations between experience of “no problems” in each one of the five dimensions of EQ-5D and the risk to accrue damage.MethodsData from the open-label extension periods of the BLISS-52 and BLISS-76 trials of belimumab in SLE (NCT00724867; NCT00712933) were used (N = 973). FHS was defined as an experience of “no problems” in all five EQ-5D dimensions. Organ damage was assessed annually using the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC)/American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Damage Index (SDI). Associations between the three-level version of the EQ-5D (EQ-5D-3L) responses at open-label baseline and the first documented increase in organ damage were investigated using Cox regression accounting for age, sex, ancestry, SDI at baseline, and background therapy, and associations with SDI items were investigated using phi (φ) correlation analyses.ResultsA total of 147 patients (15.1%) accrued organ damage during follow-up, with the first increase in their SDI score occurring after a mean time of 29.1 ± 19.6 months. Lower proportions of FHS respondents accrued damage over a course of up to 7.9 years of open-label follow-up compared with no FHS respondents (p = 0.004; derived from the logrank test). FHS was associated with a reduced hazard to accrue subsequent organ damage (HR: 0.60; 95% CI: 0.38–0.96; p = 0.033) after adjustments, as was experience of “no problems” in mobility (HR: 0.61; 95% CI: 0.43–0.87; p = 0.006). “No problems” in mobility was negatively correlated with musculoskeletal damage accrual (φ = −0.08; p = 0.008) and associated with a lower hazard to accrue musculoskeletal damage in Cox regression analysis (HR: 0.38; 95% CI: 0.19–0.76; p = 0.006).ConclusionExperience of EQ-5D-3L FHS and “no problems” in mobility after therapeutic intervention heralded reduced hazard to accrue subsequent organ damage, especially musculoskeletal damage, suggesting that optimisation of these health-related quality of life aspects constitutes a clinically relevant treatment target in patients with SLE, along with clinical and laboratory parameters.

Abstract Immunogenicity related to treatment with TNF inhibitors (TNFi) is one of the causes for the decreased attainment of clinical response in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The B-cell activating factor (BAFF) may be playing a role in the development of immunogenicity. The objective of this study was to analyse the association of baseline concentration of serum B-cell activating factor (BAFF) with immunogenicity after 6 months of TNFi treatment. A total of 127 patients with RA starting a TNFi (infliximab, adalimumab, certolizumab pegol or golimumab) were followed-up for 6 months. Serum samples were obtained at baseline and at 6 months and anti-drug antibody (ADA) and BAFF concentrations were measured. Logistic regression models were employed in order to analyse the association between BAFF concentrations and immunogenicity. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed to determine the BAFF concentrations with a greater likelihood of showing immunogenicity association. At 6 months, 31 patients (24%) developed ADA. A significant interaction between the age and baseline BAFF concentration was found for the development of ADA (Wald chi-square value = 5.30; p = 0.02); therefore, subsequent results were stratified according to mean age (≤ / > 55 years). Baseline serum BAFF concentration was independently associated with ADA development only in patients over 55 years (OR = 1.51; 95% CI 1.03–2.21). Baseline serum BAFF ≥ 1034 pg/mL predicted the presence of ADA at 6 months (AUC = 0.81; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.69–0.93; p = 0.001; positive likelihood ratio = 3.7). In conclusion, our results suggest that the association of BAFF concentration and immunogenicity depends on the patient’s age. Baseline serum BAFF concentration predicts the presence of ADA within 6 months of TNFi therapy in older patients with RA.

B cell hyperactivity is a hallmark of the complex autoimmune disease systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), which has justified drug development focusing on B cell altering agents during the last decades, as well as the off-label use of B cell targeting biologics. About a decade ago, the anti-B cell activating factor (BAFF) belimumab was the first biological agent to be licensed for the treatment of adult patients with active yet non-renal and non-neuropsychiatric SLE, to later be expanded to include treatment of pediatric SLE and, recently, lupus nephritis. B cell depletion is recommended as an off-label option in refractory cases, with the anti-CD20 rituximab having been the most used B cell depleting agent to date while agents with a slightly different binding specificity to CD20 such as obinutuzumab have also shown promise, forming a part of the current pipeline. In addition, terminally differentiated B cells have also been the targets of experimental therapies, with the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib being one example. Apart from being promising drug targets, B and plasma cells have also shown promise in the surveillance of patients with SLE, especially for monitoring B cell depleting or B cell altering therapies. Inadequate B cell depletion may signify poor expected clinical response to rituximab, for example, while prominent reductions in certain B cell subsets may signify a protection against flare development in patients treated with belimumab. Toward an era with a richer therapeutic armamentarium in SLE, including to a large extent B cell altering treatments, the challenge that emerges is to determine diagnostic means for evidence-based therapeutic decision-making, that uses clinical information, serological markers, and gene expression patterns to guide individualized precision strategies.

ObjectiveWith the premise of the hypothesis that early biological responses to therapy for active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) portend later clinical improvements, we studied changes in B cell subsets and traditional serological markers in relation to clinical response to standard therapy (ST) with or without the addition of belimumab.Patients and MethodsWe analyzed data from the BLISS-76, BLISS-SC, and BLISS Northeast Asia trials (N = 1712). Circulating CD19+ B cell subsets were determined by flow-cytometry. We studied associations of relative to baseline percentage changes in circulating B and plasma cell subsets, anti-dsDNA antibody levels and complement levels with SLE Responder Index (SRI)-4 response after 52 weeks of treatment. Changes occurring through week 8 were deemed “rapid,” through week 24 “early,” and thereafter “delayed”.ResultsIn the analysis of the entire cohort, SRI-4 responders showed more prominent decreases from baseline through week 52 in CD19+CD20+CD27– naïve B cells (median change: −61.2% versus −50.0%; P = 0.004), CD19+CD20–CD27bright plasmablasts (−44.9% versus −33.3%; P = 0.011), and CD19+CD20–CD138+ long-lived plasma cells (−48.2% versus −37.1%; P = 0.024), and a more prominent rapid (+92.0% versus +66.7%; P = 0.002) and early (+60.0% versus +49.5%; P = 0.033) expansion of CD19+CD20+CD27+ memory B cells than non-responders. More prominent rapid reductions in anti-dsDNA (−14.8% versus −8.7%; P = 0.043) and increases in C3 (+4.9% versus +2.1%; P = 0.014) and C4 levels (+11.5% versus +8.3%; P = 0.017) were documented in SRI-4 responders compared with non-responders among patients who received add-on belimumab, but not among patients who received non-biological ST alone.ConclusionSRI-4 responders showed a more prominent rapid expansion of memory B cells and more prominent delayed reductions in naïve B cells, plasmablasts and long-lived plasma cells. Moreover, clinical response to belimumab was associated with preceding more prominent reductions of anti-dsDNA and increases in C3 and C4 levels. Monitoring biological changes may prove useful in SLE patient surveillance and early treatment evaluation.

ObjectiveTo investigate changes in B cell subsets in relation to disease flares upon initiation of standard therapy (ST) plus belimumab or placebo in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).Patients and MethodsUsing data from the BLISS-76, BLISS-SC and BLISS Northeast Asia trials, we investigated associations of relative to baseline rapid (through week 8) and early (through week 24) changes in peripheral B cell subsets, anti-dsDNA and complement levels with the occurrence of disease flares from week 24 through week 52 (Mann-Whitney U tests) or the entire study follow-up (Cox regression analysis), assessed using the SELENA-SLEDAI Flare Index.ResultsPatients on ST alone who flared displayed less prominent early decreases in CD19+CD20-CD138+ long-lived plasma cells (-16.1% versus -35.1%; P=0.012). In all arms combined, patients who developed severe flares showed less prominent early decreases in CD19+CD20-CD138+ long-lived plasma cells (-23.5% versus -39.4%; P=0.028) and CD19+CD27brightCD38bright SLE-associated plasma cells (-19.0% versus -27.8%; P=0.045). After adjustment for rapid changes, early increases in overall CD19+CD20+ B cells (HR: 1.81; 95% CI: 1.08–3.05; P=0.024) and early increases or no return after a rapid expansion in CD19+CD20+CD27+ memory B cells (HR: 1.58; 95% CI: 1.18–2.11; P=0.002) portended subsequent severe flares. Patients who developed flares of any severity showed no or less prominent rapid (0.0% versus -12.5%; P

T cells are central to the pathogenesis of lupus nephritis (LN), a common complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). CD6 and its ligand, activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule (ALCAM), are involved in T cell activation and trafficking. Previously, we showed that soluble ALCAM is increased in urine (uALCAM) of patients with LN, suggesting that this pathway contributes to disease. To investigate, uALCAM was examined in 1038 patients with SLE and LN from 5 ethnically diverse cohorts; CD6 and ALCAM expression was assessed in LN kidney cells; and disease contribution was tested via antibody blockade of CD6 in murine models of SLE and acute glomerulonephritis. Extended cohort analysis offered resounding validation of uALCAM as a biomarker that distinguishes active renal involvement in SLE, irrespective of ethnicity. ALCAM was expressed by renal structural cells whereas CD6 expression was exclusive to T cells, with elevated numbers of CD6+ and ALCAM+ cells in patients with LN. CD6 blockade in models of spontaneous lupus and immune-complex glomerulonephritis revealed significant decreases in immune cells, inflammatory markers, and disease measures. Our data demonstrate the contribution of the CD6/ALCAM pathway to LN and SLE, supporting its use as a disease biomarker and therapeutic target.

Abstract Introduction Immune complexes are of importance in systemic lupus erythematosus pathogenesis, and autoantibodies are believed to participate in immune complex formation. Quantification of autoantibody levels in circulating IC might be of prognostic value. Methods A C1q-binding-eluting technique was applied to purify immune complexes from 55 belimumab-treated systemic lupus erythematosus patients during a 24-month follow-up. Autoantibodies in serum and in solubilized immune complexes were quantified using addressable laser bead immunoassay. We investigated whether levels of autoantibodies in immune complexes associate with disease activity and response to belimumab treatment. Results High baseline anti-double-stranded DNA and anti-histone levels in immune complexes associated with attainment of zero scores in clinical systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index 2000 during the 24-month follow-up (p = 0.003 and p = 0.048, respectively). Low complement levels associated with high serum anti-double-stranded DNA and anti-ribosomal P levels (p = 0.003 and p = 0.008, respectively) and high anti-double-stranded DNA (p = 0.002) but not anti-ribosomal P levels in immune complexes. Anti-SSA/SSB serum levels were lower in patients attaining lupus low disease activity state at month 6; these associations were stronger for corresponding immune complex levels. Serum levels of most autoantibodies had declined at month 3, whereas autoantibody levels in immune complexes, except for anti-double-stranded DNA, showed a more gradual decline over 1–2 years. Serum anti-double-stranded DNA levels decreased in all patients irrespective of systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index 2000=0 attainment, whereas immune complex levels decreased only in achievers. Conclusion Immune complex levels of autoantibodies against double-stranded DNA and the SSA/SSB complex show more specific associations with treatment outcome compared with serum levels in belimumab-treated systemic lupus erythematosus patients. Characterization of autoantibody content in circulating immune complexes could prove useful in treatment evaluation in systemic lupus erythematosus and other immune complex-associated diseases.

Background: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a systemic autoimmune disease, which exhibits multiple B cell abnormalities including expanded populations of memory B cells and elevated levels of autoantibodies. Belimumab is a monoclonal antibody targeting the B cell cytokine BAFF (a.k.a. BLyS), approved for the treatment of SLE. Methods: In this prospective cohort study, B cells from peripheral blood of 23 SLE patients initiating belimumab treatment and followed longitudinally for up to three years, were assessed using mass cytometry. Findings: B cells decreased during the study period, with a rapid decrease of both naïve and CD11c+CD21− B cells at the first follow-up visit, followed by a continuous reduction at subsequent follow-ups. In contrast, plasma cells and switched memory B cells remained stable throughout the study. The observed immunological changes correlated with early, but not late, clinical improvements. Moreover, high baseline B cell counts were predictive of failure to attain low disease activity. In summary, our data unveiled both rapid and gradual later therapy-associated alterations of both known and unforeseen B cell phenotypes. Interpretation: Our results suggest that evaluation of B cell counts might prove useful prior to initiation of belimumab treatment and that early treatment evaluation and discontinuation might underestimate delayed clinical improvements resultant of late B cell changes. Keywords: Systemic lupus erythematosus, Biologics, BLyS, Mass cytometry, CyTOF

Objective: To determine the prevalence of adverse health-related quality of life (HRQoL) outcomes in patients with SLE who achieved an adequate clinical response after a 52-week long standard therapy plus belimumab or placebo, and identify contributing factors.Methods: We included patients who met the primary endpoint of the BLISS-52 (NCT00424476) and BLISS-76 (NCT00410384) trials, i.e., SLE Responder Index 4 (total population: N = 760/1,684; placebo: N = 217/562; belimumab 1 mg/kg: N = 258/559; belimumab 10 mg/kg: N = 285/563). Adverse HRQoL outcomes were defined as SF-36 scale scores ≤ the 5th percentile derived from age- and sex-matched population-based norms, and FACIT-Fatigue scores

Lupus nephritis (LN) is a severe manifestation of SLE, characterised by subendothelial and/or subepithelial immune complex depositions in the afflicted kidney, resulting in extensive injury and nephron loss during the acute phase and eventually chronic irreversible damage and renal function impairment if not treated effectively. The therapeutic management of LN has improved during the last decades, but the imperative need for consensual outcome measures remains. In order to design trials with success potentiality, it is important to define clinically important short-term and long-term targets of therapeutic and non-therapeutic intervention. While it is known that early response to treatment is coupled with favourable renal outcomes, early predictors of renal function impairment are lacking. The information gleaned from kidney biopsies may provide important insights in this direction. Alas, baseline clinical and histopathological information has not been shown to be informative. By contrast, accumulating evidence of pronounced discrepancies between clinical and histopathological outcomes after the initial phase of immunosuppression has prompted investigations of the potential usefulness of per-protocol repeat kidney biopsies as an integral part of treatment evaluation, including patients showing adequate clinical response. This approach appears to have merit. Hopefully, clinical, molecular or genetic markers that reliably reflect kidney histopathology and portend the long-term prognosis will be identified. Novel non-invasive imaging methods and employment of the evolving artificial intelligence in pattern recognition may also be helpful towards these goals. The molecular and cellular characterisation of SLE and LN will hopefully result in novel therapeutic modalities, maybe new taxonomy perspectives, and ultimately personalised management.

B cell hyperactivity and breach of tolerance constitute hallmarks of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The heterogeneity of disease manifestations and relatively rare prevalence of SLE have posed difficulties in trial design and contributed to a slow pace for drug development. The anti-BAFF monoclonal antibody belimumab is still the sole targeted therapy licensed for SLE, lending credence to the widely accepted notion that B cells play central roles in lupus pathogenesis. However, more therapeutic agents directed toward B cells or B cell-related pathways are used off-label or have been trialed in SLE. The anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody rituximab has been used to treat refractory SLE during the last two decades, and the anti-type I IFN receptor anifrolumab is currently awaiting approval after one phase III clinical trial which met its primary endpoint and one phase III trial which met key secondary endpoints. While the latter does not directly affect the maturation and antibody production activity of B cells, it is expected to affect the contribution of B cells in proinflammatory cytokine excretion. The proteasome inhibitor bortezomib, primarily directed toward the plasma cells, has been used in few severe cases as an escape regimen. Collectively, current clinical experience and primary results of ongoing clinical trials prophesy that B cell therapies of selective targets will have an established place in the future personalized therapeutic management of lupus patients.

Nervous system involvement in patients with SLE, termed neuropsychiatric SLE (NPSLE), constitutes a diagnostic challenge, and its management is still poorly optimised. This review summarises recent insights over the past decade in laboratory biomarkers of diagnosis, monitoring, and prognosis of NPSLE. An initial systematic search in the Medline and Web of Science was conducted to guide the selection of articles. Emerging diagnostic biomarkers in NPSLE that displayed satisfactory ability to discriminate between NPSLE and controls include serum interleukin (IL)-6, microRNA (miR)-23a, miR-155, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) α-Klotho. CSF lipocalin-2, macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF), and immunoglobulin (Ig)M also displayed such ability in two ethnically diverse cohorts. Serum interferon (IFN)-α and neuron specific enolase (NSE) were recently reported to moderately correlate with disease activity in patients with active NPSLE. CSF IL-8, IL-13, and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) exhibited excellent sensitivity, yet poorer specificity, as predictors of response to therapy in patients with NPSLE. The overall lack of validation studies across multiple and diverse cohorts necessitates further and well-concerted investigations. Nevertheless, we propound CSF lipocalin 2 among molecules that hold promise as reliable diagnostic biomarkers in NPSLE.

Axl is a receptor tyrosine kinase with important functions in immune regulation. We investigated serum levels of soluble (s)Axl in lupus nephritis (LN) in association with renal disease activity, tissue damage and treatment response. We surveyed 52 patients with International Society of Nephrology/Renal Pathology Society (ISN/RPS) class III/IV LN and 20 healthy controls. Renal biopsies were performed at the time of active LN and post-treatment. Patients were classified as clinical responders (CRs) or clinical non-responders based on the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria. Improvement by ≥50% in renal activity index scores defined histological responders (HRs). sAxl levels were elevated in patients compared to controls (median: 18.9 ng/mL), both at baseline (median: 45.7; P5 times higher probability of histology-based response (odds ratio, OR: 5.5; 95% confidence interval, CI: 1.2-25.1). High post-treatment sAxl levels were associated with worsening in chronicity index scores (P = 0.025); low levels predicted favourable renal outcome (creatinine ≤88.4 μmol/L) 10 years after the baseline renal biopsy (area under the curve: 0.71; 95% CI: 0.54-0.89). In conclusion, sAxl may prove useful as a marker of renal activity, histological response to immunosuppression, and renal damage progression in LN. Persistently high sAxl levels after completion of treatment may be indicative of a need for treatment intensification.