Lupus & antiphospholipid syndrome
Sustained depression of B cell counts in lupus nephritis after treatment with rituximab and/or belimumab is associated with fewer disease flares
Main finding · Flare over follow-upResult — go to the resultHazard ratio 9.0 95% CI 2.2–36.7Authors' conclusion
Sustained low BCC was associated with prolonged serologic and clinical response, whereas repletion, and particularly rapid repletion, of B cells after treatment with BCA was associated with subsequent disease flare.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with severe lupus nephritis (LN) that received rituximab (RTX) and/or belimumab (BLM) as part of initial treatment for an LN flare, with subsequent CD19+ B cell measurements, after achieving at least partial renal response (PRR)episodes in 19 patients
- Participants
- 26 episodes
- Exposure
- Episodes of sustained low B cell counts (T1) vs B cell repletion (T2) after B cell agent treatment
- T1n = 17reference
- T2n = 9
- Outcome
- Time from PRR to LN flare or severe lupus flare
Methodological detailsKaplan-Meier survival analysis
- Kaplan-Meier survival analysis
Main finding
Flare over follow-up
Hazard ratio
9.0
95% CI 2.2–36.7
T2vs T1
HR 9.0 (95% CI 2.2–36.7)
As reported in the abstract
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Median, cells/μL
| Outcome | T1 | T2 |
|---|---|---|
| BCC | 14 | 160 |
C3 and C4 levels over episode
- Both C3 and C4 levels significantly increased over the duration of the episode in T1 episodes only
Original publication
Sustained depression of B cell counts in lupus nephritis after treatment with rituximab and/or belimumab is associated with fewer disease flares. Lupus. Published 11 June 2024. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →