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Michelle Petri, MD, MPH; Robert Brodsky, MD

JAMA. 2006;295:559-560.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

Systemic lupus erythematosus is a devastating systemic autoimmune disease that predominantly affects young women, is more common in African-Americans than in whites, and results in poor quality of life. Lupus has no cure, and up to 90% of patients require corticosteroids for disease control.¹ More than half of patients with lupus have permanent organ damage, much of which is either directly due to or increased by corticosteroids.¹ Mortality is increased in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, with accelerated atherosclerosis the most important contributing factor,² although the risk of cancer is also increased.³

There have been no new US Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs or biologic treatments for systemic lupus erythematosus in many decades. The criterion standard treatment for severe organ-threatening lupus (renal lupus, central nervous system lupus) is monthly intravenous cyclophosphamide (500–1000 mg/m²) for a 6-month induction period, followed by quarterly intravenous . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Author Affiliations: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Md.