Management and treatment of children, young people and adults with systemic lupus erythematosus: British Society for Rheumatology guideline scope

Md Yusof, Md Yuzaiful; Smith, Eve M D; Ainsworth, Sammy; Armon, Kate; Beresford, Michael W; Brown, Morgan; Cherry, Lindsey; Edwards, Christopher J; Flora, Kalveer; Gilman, Rebecca; Griffiths, Bridget; Gordon, Caroline; Howard, Paul; Isenberg, David; Jordan, Natasha; Kaul, Arvind; Lanyon, Peter; Laws, Philip M; Lightsone, Liz; Lythgoe, Hanna; Mallen, Christian D; Marks, Stephen D; Maxwell, Naomi; Moraitis, Elena; Nash, Clare; Pepper, Ruth J; Pilkington, Clarissa; Psarras, Antonios; Rostron, Heather; Skeates, Jade; Skeoch, Sarah; Tremarias, Dalila; Wincup, Chris; Zoma, Asad; Vital, Edward M

Abstract

Lay Summary: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a lifelong condition in which the immune system damages the body’s own tissues, causing various symptoms including rashes, hair loss, mouth ulcers, joint pain and overwhelming tiredness. It can also affect major organs including the kidneys, heart, lungs and brain. SLE can present during childhood, but most commonly affects young and middle-aged females. It is approximately nine times more common in females than males. The disease can lead to disability, poor quality of life and even death in severe cases. Treatments can often be difficult to tolerate and can cause both short- and long-term side effects. Guidelines developed by the British Society for Rheumatology aim to provide guidance for diagnosing and treating people with SLE. This is necessary to ensure that the most up-to-date approach is followed, utilising the safest and most effective treatments. This article describes the plan for a guideline in SLE that is being updated to cover new evidence that has been published since 2017 relating to the treatment and management of SLE. The guideline will take a whole life course approach, from childhood to adulthood, and is being undertaken by a working group consisting of paediatric and adult rheumatologists and nephrologists, SLE experts, general practitioners, specialist nurses and other healthcare professionals, together with people with SLE and representatives from patient organizations. The guideline will be developed using the methods and processes outlined in the British Society for Rheumatology document ‘Creating Clinical Guidelines: Our Protocol’.

Citation

Md Yusof, M. Y., Smith, E. M. D., Ainsworth, S., Armon, K., Beresford, M. W., Brown, M., …Vital, E. M. (in press). Management and treatment of children, young people and adults with systemic lupus erythematosus: British Society for Rheumatology guideline scope. Rheumatology Advances in Practice, 7(3), rkad093. https://doi.org/10.1093/rap/rkad093

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Oct 20, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Dec 5, 2023
• Deposit Date: Dec 11, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Dec 11, 2023
• Journal: Rheumatology Advances in Practice
• Print ISSN: 2514-1775
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 7
• Issue: 3
• Pages: rkad093
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/rap/rkad093
• Keywords: lupus nephritis, guideline, systemic lupus erythematosus, biologic DMARDs, management