Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a prototype of systemic autoimmune disease in which cytokines such as B lymphocyte chemoattractant (BLC or CXCL13) may play important roles in pathogenesis. The aim of our study was to investigate the implications of CXCL13 in SLE diagnosis and its correlation with disease activity and renal involvement. The study included 50 adult female patients with SLE ...

The aim of this paper is to investigate the correlation of glucocorticoid-induced tumor necrosis factor receptor- (TNFR-) related protein ligand (GITRL) with disease activity and organ involvement in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Serum GITRL levels were measured in 58 patients with SLE and 30 healthy controls matched for age and sex. Patients were assessed for clinical and l...

OBJECTIVE In SLE, a decreased antibody response on influenza vaccination has been reported. In this study, we assessed whether a booster vaccination could improve antibody responses, as determined by seroprotection rates, in SLE patients. METHODS SLE patients (n = 52) with quiescent disease (SLEDAI < or =4) and healthy controls (HCs) (n = 28) received subunit influenza vaccine in October-Dece...

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the application of Disease Activity Score 28 (DAS28) to assess joint involvement in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). METHODS Sixty-nine SLE patients, complaining of joint symptoms, and 44 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients were enrolled. In SLE patients disease activity was assessed with SLEDAI-2K. DAS28 was calculated in all the patients. RESULTS Thirty SLE patien...

OBJECTIVE MMF is teratogenic and needs to be replaced before pregnancy. This change may lead to flares. Our aim was to determine the risk of renal flares in women with LN who switched treatment from MMF to AZA before conception and to evaluate the outcome of their pregnancies. METHODS Medical records of women with LN counselled for pregnancy wish were reviewed. Women receiving treatment with ...

Objective To investigate the effect of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) in pregnant women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods In SLE pregnancies of a single Dutch center (2000-2015), lupus activity and flares before and during pregnancy and postpartum were assessed using the SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI)/SLEPDAI (SLEDAI adjusted for pregnancy). The association between HCQ use and p...

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multisystem autoimmune disease with complicated genetic inheritance. Programmed death 1 (PD-1), a negative T cell regulator to maintain peripheral tolerance, induces negative signals to T cells during interaction with its ligands and is therefore a candidate gene in the development of SLE. In order to examine whether expression levels of PD-1 contribute t...

Detection of immunoreactants including IgG, IgM, IgA, and C3 by direct immunofluorescence (DIF) from skin is useful for distinguishing lupus lesions from other skin disorders. Despite their diagnostic value, the type and number of cutaneous immunoreactants as they relate to serological disorders and disease severity has been poorly studied. We examined 36 patients with systemic lupus erythemato...

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease with a cyclical clinical course. Evaluation of the clinical activity of this disease is important for choosing the correct treatment. The objective of this study was to analyze the value of beta-2 microglobulin (β2M) serum levels in determining SLE clinical activity. DESIGN AND SETTING Cross-sectional analytical...

Endothelial function, measured noninvasively by brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation (FMD), has been shown to be impaired in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We hypothesized that depressed FMD in SLE patients is associated with increased levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), an inhibitor of fibrinolysis and regulator of vasoactivity. In this cross-sectional s...