Publications by authors named "K C Kalunian"

Background: Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is a signalling molecule that has an inhibitory role in atherosclerosis, inflammation, cell proliferation, and immunity. Cenerimod is a selective S1P receptor modulator under investigation for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We aimed to determine the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of four doses of cenerimod in adults with moderate-to-severe SLE receiving standard of care background therapy.

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  • High-dose glucocorticoid (GC)-based treatments for lupus nephritis are common but can cause significant side effects and are not always fully effective; this study explored the impact of adding voclosporin to a low-dose GC regimen.* -
  • Participants were matched from two study groups: those receiving voclosporin with low-dose GCs and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), and those on high-dose GCs with MMF and intravenous cyclophosphamide (IVC); safety and efficacy were evaluated over 6 months.* -
  • Results indicated that the voclosporin group experienced fewer adverse events and achieved better reductions in urine protein levels compared to those receiving high-dose GCs
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Objectives: This study aims to determine the independent impact of definitions of remission/low disease activity (LDA) on direct/indirect costs (DCs, ICs) in a multicentre inception cohort.

Methods: Patients from 31 centres in 10 countries were enrolled within 15 months of diagnosis and assessed annually. Five mutually exclusive disease activity states (DAS) were defined as (1) remission off-treatment: clinical (c) SLEDAI-2K=0, without prednisone/immunosuppressants; (2) remission on-treatment: cSLEDAI-2K=0, prednisone ≤5 mg/day and/or maintenance immunosuppressants; (3) LDA-Toronto Cohort (TC): cSLEDAI-2K≤2, without prednisone/immunosuppressants; (4) modified lupus LDA state (mLLDAS): SLEDAI-2K≤4, no activity in major organs/systems, no new activity, prednisone ≤7.

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  • Cranial neuropathies (CN) are a rare manifestation of neuropsychiatric lupus, and the study investigates the association of anti-KIF20B antibodies as a possible biomarker for this condition within a large cohort of SLE patients.
  • The research involved 795 patients from a larger cohort, revealing that 29.8% were positive for anti-KIF20B, with a significantly higher positivity rate (70%) in those with CN compared to those without (29.3%).
  • Findings suggest that anti-KIF20B positivity is linked to CN in SLE patients, indicating its potential as a biomarker, though further research is required to confirm these results.
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  • The study investigates how isolated lupus nephritis (LN) impacts health-related quality of life (HRQOL) compared to patients with additional extrarenal symptoms.
  • It involved 181 LN patients who completed the PROMIS-29 questionnaire, revealing that those with extrarenal symptoms reported worse pain, social participation, physical function, and fatigue than those with just renal symptoms.
  • The findings emphasize the need for treatment approaches that consider both renal and extrarenal issues to enhance overall patient well-being.
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