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Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy Volume 16, 2015 - Issue 18
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Reviews

Systemic lupus erythematosus: review of synthetic drugs

MWP Tsang-A-SjoeDepartment of Rheumatology, Amsterdam Rheumatology and immunology Center, location VU University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081HVAmsterdam, the Netherlands
, MD &
IEM BultinkDepartment of Rheumatology, Amsterdam Rheumatology and immunology Center, location VU University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081HVAmsterdam, the NetherlandsCorrespondence[email protected]
, MD, PhD
Pages 2793-2806 | Published online: 19 Oct 2015

References

  • Papers of special note have been highlighted as either of interest (•) or of considerable interest (••) to readers.
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• This article provides a brief and current overview on epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations and treatment of SLE

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•• This article was a key paper in the reappraisal of HCQ as an effective drug in the treatment of SLE. Although the sample size was small, and no statistically significant differences were demonstrated, the results encouraged further studies on the efficacy of HCQ

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•• This article shows in a large sample size with long mean follow-up duration and excellent statistical analyses that hypertension and GCs are the main contributors to organ damage in SLE, although a trend for a protective effect of HCQ was observed

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•• This article provides an excellent overview of the efficacy of antimalarials (including HCQ) in SLE and also reports the level of evidence for each association

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• This meta-analysis investigated the evidence for GC use for the different SLE manifestations

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