BACKGROUND This study was conducted to determine whether there is an association between urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (uNGAL) and urinary transforming growth factor-β1 (uTGF-β1) with lupus nephritis (LN) disease activity. METHODS Urine samples from 18 LN patients were collected every month for six months then examined for uNGAL, uTGF-β1, and renal domain Systemic Lupus E...

BACKGROUND Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Although autopsy studies have documented that the heart is affected in most SLE patients, clinical manifestations occur in less than 10%. QT dispersion is a new parameter that can be used to assess homogeneity of cardiac repolarization and autonomic function. We compared the increa...

Accepted 23 October 2012 ABSTRACT Objectives To evaluate treatment with the peptidebased agent, Lupuzor, in a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled study of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Methods Patients who met ≥4 of the American College of Rheumatology criteria, had a score of ≥6 on the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K) and did not have ...

OBJECTIVES To evaluate treatment with the peptide-based agent, Lupuzor, in a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled study of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. METHODS Patients who met ≥4 of the American College of Rheumatology criteria, had a score of ≥6 on the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K) and did not have an A score on the British Isles...

OBJECTIVE To investigate the status and contribution of oxidized superoxide dismutase (SOD) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and to explore whether oxidized-SOD has a role in disease induction and progression. METHODS This study was performed in the College of Medicine, Qassim University, Buraidah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between October 2011 and May 2012. The study was designed to expl...

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease resulting in autoantibody production, immune complex deposition, and complement activation. The standard biomarkers such as anti-dsDNA and complements (C3 and C4) do not always correlate with active clinical SLE. The heterogeneity of SLE patients may require additional biomarkers to designate disease activity. Ninety SLE patients parti...

OBJECTIVES We have analysed the association between different parameters of renal tubular acidosis (RTA) with clinical and laboratory parameters in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS Review of hospital database records between 1978 and 2003 revealed six SLE patients with RTA. Correlations and comparisons were done by Spearman rank correlation coefficient and the chi(2) ...

Methods This was a longitudinal panel study including 410 consecutive medical visits in 22 C-SLE patients (ACR criteria). They were followed at the Pediatric Rheumatology Unit, Children’s Institute, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Brazil, between 2005 and 2010. Disease activity was evaluated according to Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K), a...

OBJECTIVES To determine whether renal function predicts the development of cardiovascular disease and other arterial vascular events in patients with SLE. METHOD An inception cohort of 437 females was studied. Baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated using serum creatinine and the abbreviated Modification of Diet in Renal Disease Study Group formula. Arterial events...

We aim to evaluate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and investigate the association between total, free and bioavailable vitamin D serum concentrations and disease activity. Patients with SLE (ACR 1997) consecutively seen at UNIFESP's outpatient's clinics had disease activity measured after clinical and laboratory evaluation using SLEDAI...