Lupus & antiphospholipid syndrome
Relapse risk of lupus-related serositis according to immunosuppressive therapy: a national real-world study
Main finding · Serositis relapse by immunosuppressive treatmentResult — go to the resultHazard ratio 0.34 95% CI 0.14–0.84Authors' conclusion
Lupus-related serositis is frequent and highly relapsing. In this national cohort, belimumab-but not conventional immunosuppressants-was associated with reduced serositis recurrence
Study context
- Population
- Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with pericarditis and/or pleuritis, identified through a nationwide call for case reporting
- Participants
- 100 patients180 serositis episodes
- Exposure
- Immunosuppressive treatments and serositis relapse
- Outcome
- Serositis relapse (recurrence requiring treatment intensification ≥3 months after the index flare)
Methodological detailsmulticentre, real-world, nationwide call for case reporting, Prentice-Williams-Peterson gap-time Cox model adjusted for prespecified confounders
- Multicentre
- Real-world
- Nationwide call for case reporting
- Prentice-Williams-Peterson gap-time Cox model adjusted for prespecified confounders
Main finding
Serositis relapse by immunosuppressive treatment
Hazard ratio
0.34
95% CI 0.14–0.84
P = 0.019
Belimumab
HR 0.34 (95% CI 0.14–0.84); P = 0.019
As reported in the abstract
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Patients with ≥1 relapse · mean follow-up of 91 months
- ≥1 relapse
- 46%
Response to initial anti-inflammatory therapy (evaluable episodes) · early reassessment
- Responded
- 108/124 (87.1%)
- No significant difference between corticosteroid-based and aspirin/colchicine regimens
Original publication
Relapse risk of lupus-related serositis according to immunosuppressive therapy: a national real-world study. RMD Open. Published 13 May 2026. doi:10.
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