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  • S06.1 B cell kinetics upon therapy commencement for active extra-renal systemic lupus erythematosus in relation to development of renal flares

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Friday 07 October 2022 from 09:50 to 11:20
S06 nephritis
S06.1 B cell kinetics upon therapy commencement for active extra-renal systemic lupus erythematosus in relation to development of renal flares
  1. I Parodis1,
  2. A Gomez1,
  3. J Lindblom1,
  4. JW Chow1,
  5. C Sjöwall2,
  6. S Sciascia3 and
  7. M Gatto4
  1. 1Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital ~ Stockholm ~ Sweden
  2. 2Division of Inflammation and Infection, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University ~ Linköping ~ Sweden
  3. 3Center of Research of Immunopathology and Rare Diseases and Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Turin ~ Italy
  4. 4Unit of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of Padua ~ Italy

Abstract

Purpose To investigate changes in B cell subsets in relation to renal flares upon initiation of standard therapy (ST) plus belimumab or placebo in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Methods We analysed data from the BLISS-76, BLISS-SC and BLISS Northeast Asia trials. Circulating CD19+ B cell subsets were characterised through flow-cytometry. We investigated the associations of relative to baseline rapid (through week 8) and early (through week 24) percentage changes in circulating B cell subsets, anti-dsDNA antibodies and complement levels with the occurrence of at least one renal flare during follow-up.

Results Patients who developed renal flares showed a more prominent rapid decrease in CD19+CD20+CD138+ short-lived plasma cells (-50.4% versus -16.7%; P=0.019) and CD19+CD20-CD27bright plasmablasts (-50.0% versus -29.9%; P=0.020) compared with patients who did not flare, followed by a subsequent return to near-baseline values, while patients who did not flare showed gradual yet non-significant decreases in these cell subsets. Remarkably, more prominent rapid reductions in CD19+CD20-CD138+ long-lived plasma cells were associated with a protection against renal flares in belimumab-treated patients (-11.3% versus -29.2%; OR: 1.16; 95% CI: 1.03–1.32; P=0.019), while changes in long-lived plasma cells did not differ between patients who developed renal flares and patients who did not in the subgroup treated with ST alone. Rapid and early changes in anti-dsDNA or complement levels showed no clear association with renal flares.

Conclusions An initial decrease followed by a subsequent return in circulating short-lived plasma cells and plasmablasts upon treatment for active SLE portended renal flares, indicating a need for therapeutic adjustments in selected patients. Rapid decreases in long-lived plasma cells upon belimumab therapy commencement may signify a greater protection against renal flares.

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

This is an open access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited, appropriate credit is given, any changes made indicated, and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/.

https://doi.org/10.1136/lupus-2022-elm2022.13

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