Phase III/IV, Randomized, Fifty-Two-Week Study of the Efficacy and Safety of Belimumab in Patients of Black African Ancestry With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Objective: Enrollment of patients of Black African ancestry with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in phase II and phase III of the belimumab trials was not reflective of the racial distribution observed in the lupus population. This study was undertaken to assess the efficacy and safety of intravenous (IV) belimumab plus standard therapy in patients of self-identified Black race.

Methods: EMBRACE (GSK Study BEL115471; ClinicalTrials.

Leishmaniasis during anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy: report of 4 cases and review of the literature (additional 28 cases).

Objective: To describe the development of 4 new cases of leishmaniasis in patients receiving anti-tumor necrosis factor-α (anti-TNF) agents and review the pertinent literature.

Methods: Chart review of the 4 cases and MEDLINE search for additional reported cases.

Results: All reported cases, including ours, came from endemic areas.

Anticitrulline peptide antibodies (CCP3) in leprosy sera: a negative association.

Anticyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (anti-CCP) have been described almost exclusively in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Recently, these autoantibodies have been found in patients with active tuberculosis. Leprosy is another mycobacterial disease where the presence of autoantibodies has been described by several authors.