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ISSUE # 4 APRIL 2006

Medical Director, Lupus Foundation of America, Inc.

Early Risk Factors Identified For Pregnancy Loss in Lupus

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have identified four risk factors among people with lupus that independently seem to contribute to the likelihood of pregnancy loss: protein in the urine, a history of the antiphospholipid syndrome, low blood platelet counts (thrombocytopenia), and high blood pressure. More>

Results Published from Study of Stem Cell Transplantation for Lupus

Richard K. Burt, M.D. Ann Traynor, M.D.; Laisvyde Statkute, M.D., et. al., Journal of the American Medical Association,2006;295:527-535

Forty-eight lupus patients with severe lupus who did not respond to standard treatments with immune suppressing therapies had stem cell transplantation at Northwestern University in Chicago. Although two patients died following the procedure, half of the patients were free of lupus after as long as five years and all study participants had significant improvement in disease activity, lung function, and in levels of anti-DNA and complement, which can be markers of lupus activity. More>

Reports from the LUMINA Study: Genetic Factors and Social Support May Contribute to Outcomes of People with Lupus from Minority Groups

Factors predictive of a decline of disease activity

Bertoli, A.M.;Alarcón, G.S.;McGwin, G., et. al., Lupus, Volume 15,Number 1, January 2006, pp. 13-18(6)

In this report, researchers looked at factors that might predict improvement in lupus. The study results showed that higher degrees of social support were associated with improvement in lupus, but that patients who had more manifestations of lupus when they were diagnosed and those with more permanent damage had less future improvements in disease activity. More>

Factors that contribute to lupus kidney disease in minorities

Alarcón, G.S.;Bastian, H.M.;Beasley, T.M., et. al.,Lupus, Volume 15,Number 1, January 2006, pp. 26-31(6)

Researchers examined whether kidney involvement, which occurs more frequently in minorities with lupus, was purely a genetic problem or whether social factors or economic factors could help to explain these disparities. Socioeconomic status of the patients only accounted for 14.5 percent of the differences between these groups, suggesting that genetic factors may be more important than socioeconomic status. More>

Faulty Cells Thought to Start Autoimmune Process

Jin Wang, M.D., Min Chen, M.D., Li Huang, M.D. et. al., Science 24, February 2006 Vol. 311. no. 5764, pp. 1160-1164

Autoimmune diseases such as lupus have been linked to the bodys failure to eliminate inflammatory cells once a virus or bacteria has been fought off. When this cell clearance is inefficient, the persistence of inflammatory debris in the blood stream may lead to more inflammation, and could be one of the triggers for autoimmune diseases. However, this research has found that autoimmunity may require more than just inefficient clean-up of selected inflammatory cell types. More>

Corticosteroids Can Contribute to Osteoporosis

Dr. Rosemarie H. Liu et al Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, Archives of Dermatology, January 2006

It is highly recommended that patients started on long-term steroid treatment receive immediate treatment with drugs known as bisphosphonates help to prevent osteoporosis or thinning of bones. However, the authors of this study found that most patients with inflammatory skin diseases who were started on steroid treatment were not receiving bisphosphonates as recommended by American College of Rheumatology guidelines. More>

Joan T. Merrill andRonald A. Asherson, Nature Clinical Practice Rheumatology (2006) 2, 81-89

The antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a blood clotting disorder that is associated with autoantibodies (immune proteins) that interfere with the normal function of blood clotting. Catastrophic Antiphospholipid Syndrome (CAPS) is a very rare and severe form of the antiphospholipid syndrome. Close to half of those with CAPS die soon after the syndrome begins, even though those who survive the acute stages frequently recover completely and remain well indefinitely. Aggressive treatments have proved lifesaving for some patients, and it is clear that the diagnosis needs to be made promptly, and these special measures instituted rapidly. More>

Low Doses of Hydralazine Are Associated with Drug-Induced Lupus

Shannon W. Finks, Pharm.D., B.C.P.S.; A. Lloyd Finks, M.D.; Timothy H. Self, Pharm.D., Southern Medical Journal 99(1):18-22, January 2006

The African American Heart Failure Trial (A-HeFT) is the first major clinical trial to test the effectiveness of adding ISDN-H (isosorbide dinitrate combined with hydralazine) to standard treatments in African Americans patients with advanced heart failure. While the results showed that this additional treatment dramatically improved survival and quality of life, hydralazine is known to cause drug-induced lupus. After reviewing the literature, the authors found that even low doses of the drug have been associated with lupus. They suggest that patients on ISDN-H be monitored closely for signs and symptoms of lupus at each visit. More>

Vardenafil Improves Blood Flow in Raynauds Disease

Stephan Rosenkranz et al, Universitat zu Koln, Germany, Archives of Internal Medicine 2006;166:231-233

Raynauds is a condition in which exposure to cold triggers blood vessel spasms that interrupt blood flow to the fingers, toes, ears, and/or nose. It is often seen in lupus patients and can be difficult to treat. This small pilot study looked at the effects of a drug for erectile dysfunction, vardenafil (Levitra®), which opens blood vessels. It appeared in this study that this treatment may improve both Raynauds symptoms and the actual blood flow in fingers and toes. More>

Bristol-Myers-Squibb Recruiting for Clinical Study of Abatacept for Lupus

The purpose of this clinical research study is to learn whether Abatacept, recently approved by the U.S Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, can treat and prevent lupus flares. The study will be conducted in a number of centers throughout the United States. More>

National Cancer Institute Recruiting Patients for Pilot Trial of Stem Cell Transplantation