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Belimumab for the treatment of corticosteroid-dependent systemic lupus erythematosus: from clinical trials to real-life experience after 1 year of use in 48 Brazilian patients

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Abstract

The objective of the study was to evaluate prospectively real-life experience on the effect of belimumab on patients with active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Forty-eight patients with active SLE were evaluated after 1 year of continuous treatment. Thirty-eight patients were still on treatment at the end of 1 year, and it was possible to observe significant clinical improvement in the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) score with a decrease from 12 ± 3.0 to 2.5 ± 2.5, also a decrease on the daily steroid dose from 30 ± 12.5 to 7.5 ± 5.0 mg and partial improvement on serology. Belimumab treatment is associated with real benefit in the majority of patients that maintain active disease in spite of continuing on standard of care.

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Acknowledgments

This research received funds from the Federico Foundation to one of the authors (M.A.S).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil

    Morton Scheinberg

  2. Hospital AACD Clinical Research Division, São Paulo, Brazil

    Morton Scheinberg

  3. Hospital Unimed Volta Redonda, Rio de Janeiro, Volta Redonda, Brazil

    Flavio Fernando Nogueira de Melo

  4. Centro Medico Varginha, Hospital Humanitas, University of Alfenas, Minas Gerais, Alfenas, Brazil

    Adrian Nogueira Bueno

  5. Centro Medico Varginha, Hospital Humanitas, Minas Gerais, Varginha, Brazil

    Carolyne Mendes Costa, Maria Lucia Alvares de Azevedo Bahr & Enio Ribeiro Reis

Authors
  1. Morton Scheinberg
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  2. Flavio Fernando Nogueira de Melo
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  3. Adrian Nogueira Bueno
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  4. Carolyne Mendes Costa
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  5. Maria Lucia Alvares de Azevedo Bahr
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  6. Enio Ribeiro Reis
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Morton Scheinberg.

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The study was approved by the respective IRB of each center.

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Additional information

M.A. Scheinberg, MDPhD, Internist and Rheumatologist, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein and Hospital AACD Clinical Research Division, State of São Paulo, Brazil; F.F.N. de Melo, MD, Rheumatologist, Hospital Unimed Volta Redonda, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; A.N. Bueno, MD, Rheumatologist, Professor of Rheumatology University of Alfenas, Centro Médico de Varginha, Hospital Humanitas, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil; C. M. Costa, MD, Rheumatologist, Centro Médico de Varginha, Hospital Humanitas, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil; M.L.A.A. Bahr, MD, Rheumatologist, Centro Médico de Varginha, Hospital Humanitas, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil; E.R. Reis, MD, Rheumatologist, Centro Médico de Varginha, Hospital Humanitas, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil

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Scheinberg, M., de Melo, F.F.N., Bueno, A.N. et al. Belimumab for the treatment of corticosteroid-dependent systemic lupus erythematosus: from clinical trials to real-life experience after 1 year of use in 48 Brazilian patients. Clin Rheumatol 35, 1719–1723 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-016-3268-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-016-3268-z

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