Enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium is effective and well-tolerated in patients with active lupus nephritis, Hong Kong researchers report.

BOSTON—Rituximab is highly effective for treating resistant systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), but, in certain patients, the medication does not prevent progression to end-stage renal disease (ESRD), British researchers conclude.

BOSTON—The traditional cyclophosphamide regimen for lupus nephritis recommended by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is superior to high-dose immunoablative cyclophosphamide, a recent study suggests.

BOSTON—Kidney involvement stemming from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) may be more common in male than female patients, researchers reported at the annual meeting of American College of Rheumatology.

BOSTON—It may be possible to get accurate urine protein excretion estimates in lupus nephritis patients in three or 12 hours instead of 24, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

BOSTON—Among the various racial and ethnic groups in the United States, Hispanics have the worst response to treatment for proliferative nephritis due to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), data show.

RESEARCHERS SAY they have discovered a novel biomarker for renal activity in patients with lupus nephritis. The marking, a cytokine called TWEAK, can be measured with a simple urine test.

EVEN PARTIAL remission of lupus nephritis may be associated with better patient survival and a reduced risk of progressing to end-stage renal disease (ESRD).

Rituximab (Rituxan), a biologic agent used to treat B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, may offer a promising option for treating severe membranous lupus nephritis (MLN), according to Swedish researchers.

Systemic nitric oxide (NO) levels are elevated in patients with proliferative lupus nephritis, researchers found. The association is independent of renal elimination of nitrate and nitrite (NOx), a measure of NO production.