title: [Intensified therapy of severe lupus erythematosus].
abstract: 14 female patients (mean age 28 [18-56] years) with severe systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) were treated after discontinuing previous immunosuppressive therapy, according to an intensified protocol, with three plasmaphereses (days 1-3), followed by pulse cyclophosphamide (12 mg/kg i.v. each on days 3-5) and then oral immunosuppression (cyclophosphamide 1-5 mg/kg daily, depending on white blood cell count; prednisone equivalent 2.0 decreasing to 0.1 mg/kg, according to response, for 6 months). The aim of "synchronization" of plasmaphereses with subsequent cyclophosphamide pulse-therapy is to damage pathogenic lymphocyte clones during maximal compensatory activation induced by plasmapheresis. In all patients there was rapid improvement from the nephritis, pneumonitis, cytopenia, CNS abnormalities and polyserositis. The lupus activity index (SLAM) fell clearly, from initially 28.4 (13-37) points to 8.9 (2-13) after 6 months. Treatment was discontinued after this fall in 12 patients. A recurrence was observed in two patients, at 12 and 39 months respectively. Another patient died from liver cirrhosis of unknown aetiology. Nine patients are under observation but without treatment at present, in essential remission after 2 years (5-51 months), with a SLAM of 2.8 (0-7) points. "Synchronization" of plasmaphereses with subsequent pulse cyclophosphamide achieved rapid improvement and it resulted, for the first time, repeatedly in long-term treatment-free clinical remissions.
authors.affiliation: II. Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik, Universität sowie Abteilung für Intensivmedizin und Dialyse, Städtisches Krankenhaus, Kiel.
authors.forename: H H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Euler
authors.forename: J O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Schröder
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Gutschmidt
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Harten
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Stueber
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Zeuner
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Löffler
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010956:Plasmapheresis; D011241:Prednisone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012008:Recurrence; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D011241:Prednisone
vernacular_title: Intensivierte Therapie des schweren Lupus erythematodes.