Lupus & antiphospholipid syndrome
The application value of peripheral plasmablasts in the assessment of disease activity and treatment response in systemic lupus erythematosus.
Authors' conclusion
Peripheral plasmablasts is intricately linked with the disease activity in SLE; sustained elevated levels of plasmablasts may serve as a prognostic indicator of suboptimal therapeutic response.
Study context
- Population
- Hospitalised Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) patients, Wuhan Hospital of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, September 2023 to December 2024
- Participants
- 108 patients
- Exposure
- Plasmablast proportions across SLEDAI-2K disease activity groups
- Mildn = 69reference
- Moderaten = 27
- Severen = 12
- Outcome
- Peripheral plasmablast proportions as biomarker of SLE disease activity
Methodological detailssingle-centre
- Single-centre
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Plasmablast proportions by disease activity
Mild vs Moderate: P < 0.001 · Mild vs Severe: P < 0.001 · Moderate vs Severe: P = 0.080
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Plasmablast proportion for predicting SLE disease activity
- AUC
- 0.885
- Sensitivity at cut-off 6.06%
- 87.2%
- Specificity at cut-off 6.06%
- 85.5%
Correlations of plasmablast proportion
- Positive correlation with SLEDAI-2K, anti-dsDNA and ESR; negative correlation with C3, C4, white blood cell and platelet counts
Dynamic B-cell subset monitoring after treatment
- Patients achieving remission (newly diagnosed or relapsed): decreasing plasmablast proportions and counts over time
- Refractory patients: poor response and persistently high plasmablast proportions and counts despite treatment
- 17 patients monitored
Original publication
The application value of peripheral plasmablasts in the assessment of disease activity and treatment response in systemic lupus erythematosus. Clin Exp Rheumatol. Published 21 May 2025. doi:10.
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