Lupus & antiphospholipid syndrome
Efficacy of adding belimumab to hydroxychloroquine for patients with serologically active clinically quiescent in systemic lupus erythematosus: A retrospective study
Authors' conclusion
Adding BLM to HCQ in patients in the SACQ state did not demonstrate effects in preventing flares or reducing glucocorticoids (GC) dose.
Study context
- Population
- Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients in the serologically active clinically quiescent (SACQ) state receiving hydroxychloroquine (HCQ)SACQ patients on HCQ
- Participants
- 146 patients
- Exposure
- Belimumab added to HCQ vs no belimumab
- Belimumab (BLM)n = 27
- Controln = 107reference
- Outcome
- Time to achievement of PSL dose reduction to 7.5 mg/day or 5 mg/day (Kaplan-Meier)
Methodological detailspropensity score analysis with inverse probability of treatment weighting
- Propensity score analysis with inverse probability of treatment weighting
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Time to PSL dose reduction
Between BLM and ControlHazard ratio (95% CI)P value
PSL reduced to 7.5 mg/day
1.21(0.78–1.89)
P = 0.396PSL reduced to 5 mg/day
1.19(0.74–1.89)
P = 0.471Observational data: associations, not effects.
Secondary outcomes
Time to flares; median prednisolone (PSL) dose at last observation
- No significant differences were observed in other outcomes
Original publication
Efficacy of adding belimumab to hydroxychloroquine for patients with serologically active clinically quiescent in systemic lupus erythematosus: A retrospective study. Lupus. Published 24 November 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →