Long-term thalidomide use in refractory cutaneous lesions of systemic lupus erythematosus

Abstract

SUMMARY -Were selected 18 SLE patients (ACR criteria) with active cutaneous patients (ACR criteria) with active cutaneous patients (ACR criteria) with active cutaneous patients (ACR criteria) with active cutaneous patients (ACR criteria) with active cutaneous lesions not responsive to chloroquine, photolesions not responsive to chloroquine, photolesions not responsive to chloroquine, photolesions not responsive to chloroquine, photolesions not responsive to chloroquine, photoprotectors and low doses prednisone and who protectors and low doses prednisone and who protectors and low doses prednisone and who protectors and low doses prednisone and who protectors and low doses prednisone and who presented good response to thalidomide but represented good response to thalidomide but represented good response to thalidomide but represented good response to thalidomide but represented good response to thalidomide but relapsed after withdrawal of the drug. All female lapsed after withdrawal of the drug. All female lapsed after withdrawal of the drug. All female lapsed after withdrawal of the drug. All female lapsed after withdrawal of the drug. All female patients had no risk of pregnancy. Thalidomide patients had no risk of pregnancy. Thalidomide patients had no risk of pregnancy. Thalidomide patients had no risk of pregnancy. Thalidomide patients had no risk of pregnancy. Thalidomide was reintroduced and maintained at low dose was reintroduced and maintained at low dose was reintroduced and maintained at low dose was reintroduced and maintained at low dose was reintroduced and maintained at low dose (25-100mg/day) for a minimum of 6 months.

Long-term thalidomide use in refractory cutaneous lesions of lupus erythematosus: a 65 series of Brazilian patients

“…In line with previous studies, we also did not observe differences in clinical responses between discoid and subacute lupus erythematosus lesions. 3,8 Similar to other series, a high rate of relapse (85%) in patients who stopped thalidomide was observed. 2,3 The presence of paresthesia without clinical or electrophysiologic findings was also found in our series, in similarity with previous reports.…”

Role of tumor necrosis factor ? and potential benefit of tumor necrosis factor blockade treatment in systemic lupus erythematosus: Comment on the editorial by Pisetsky

“…Of further interest in this respect is the observation that glomerulonephritis is significantly milder in TNF␣Ϫ/Ϫ mice (11). In further support of such a role, glucocorticoids and thalidomide, 2 agents that also inhibit TNF␣ (13,14), are successfully used for certain disease manifestations of SLE (15,16). In further support of such a role, glucocorticoids and thalidomide, 2 agents that also inhibit TNF␣ (13,14), are successfully used for certain disease manifestations of SLE (15,16).…”

Thalidomide in the treatment of refractory cutaneous lupus erythematosus: prognostic factors of clinical outcome

“…Thalidomide, a glutamic acid derivative, has been used successfully in a variety of chronic refractory inflammatory dermatological conditions with an underlying autoimmune or infectious pathogenesis 8 . It was first used in the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in 1975, and, since then, there has been renewed interest and increased use following its reported effectiveness, reaching 80–90% according to different studies 9–17 . Despite these studies proving its general efficacy, it is still not clear if the clinical response might differ among cutaneous subtypes, and, to date, no attempts have been made to find possible prognostic factors of clinical response.…”