Lupus & antiphospholipid syndrome
Risk Factors and Incidence of Serious Infections in Patients With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Undergoing Rituximab Therapy
Authors' conclusion
SI was prevalent in patients with SLE after RTX treatment.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) treated with rituximab (RTX)
- Participants
- 174 patients
- Exposure
- Risk and protective factors for serious infection (SI) within 180 days of RTX
- Outcome
- Serious infection (any infectious disease requiring hospitalization)
- Follow-up
- 180 days
Methodological detailsmultivariate Cox proportional hazards models, Kaplan-Meier analysis
- Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models
- Kaplan-Meier analysis
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Risk and protective factors for SI
Hazard ratio (95% CI)P value
CKD (eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m²)
2.88(1.30–6.38)
log-rank P = 0.001Background PSL equivalent dosage ≥ 15 mg/day
3.50(1.57–7.78)
log-rank P = 0.02HCQ
0.35(0.15–0.82)
log-rank P = 0.003- Overall incidence rate (IR) of SIs
- 51.0/100 patient-years (PYs)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Leading types of SI (IR)
- Pneumonia
- 30.4/100 PYs
- Soft tissue, intra-abdominal infections and Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia (each)
- 6.1/100 PYs
Deaths during 180-day follow-up
- Patients died
- 12
- Crude mortality rate
- 14.6/100 PYs
Original publication
Risk Factors and Incidence of Serious Infections in Patients With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Undergoing Rituximab Therapy. J Rheumatol. Published 15 October 2023. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →