Case Report: A Rare Case of Lupus Nephritis Associated With Mantle Cell Lymphoma

In this research, we described a very rare case of secondary lupus nephritis associated with B-cell lymphoma. An 84-year-old man was hospitalized at our institute for lower extremity edema persisting for over 2 months. He was diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus based on clinical and laboratory criteria, which showed impaired renal function and nephrotic syndrome with predominant hematuria. Renal biopsy showed IV+V lupus nephritis with highly infiltrated lymphoid cells in the kidney. Secondary lupus nephritis was suspected based on the possible pathogenesis of glomerular injury due to mantle cell lymphoma. Low-dose dexamethasone, rituximab, and lenalidomide were immediately started on the patient, and his renal function was improved after the first cycle of chemotherapy.

The relationship between cancer and medication exposure in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: a nested case-control study

Background

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is associated with increased risk of cancer and the mechanism remains unclear. Here, we examined the level of auto-antibodies and disease activity index scores in SLE patients with cancers and analyzed whether medications for SLE management might contribute to the higher cancer risk in SLE patients.

Methods

In this retrospective study, we carried out a nested case-control study in a large cohort of SLE patients. We screened 5858 SLE patients to identify the newly diagnosed and yet to be treated cancers. The following clinical features were evaluated: auto-antibodies levels, SLE disease activity index scores, and previous medication used for SLE management. Systemic glucocorticoid, cyclophosphamide, hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), methotrexate, and azathioprine were considered the main medication indices.

Results

Our analyses identified 51 SLE patients who also had cancer and 204 matched control patients who had SLE but not cancer. Of the 51 SLE patients, thyroid cancer (14/51, 27.45%), cervical cancer (10/51, 19.61%), and lung cancer (7/51, 13.73%) were the most common types. Our analyses did not reveal any significant differences in the levels of auto-antibodies in SLE patients with cancers relative to the control group. Further, we observed that disease activity was significantly lower in SLE patients with cancers relative to the matched control SLE group. There was no statistically significant association between the cancer risk and the use of systemic glucocorticoid, cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, or azathioprine. Importantly, the administration of HCQ was significantly lower in SLE patients suffering cancers relative to the cancer-free matched control group.

Conclusions

Our analyses indicate that SLE patients with cancers might have a lower disease activity at the time of cancer diagnosis. HCQ was negatively associated with cancer risk in SLE patients. These findings highlight a potential and novel prevention strategy for SLE.

Bidirectional Relationship Between Primary Sjögren Syndrome and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma: A Nationwide Taiwanese Population-based Study

OBJECTIVE

Bidirectional relationships between some autoimmune diseases and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) may exist. We conducted this nationwide population-based study in Taiwan to investigate whether there is a bidirectional relationship between primary Sjögren syndrome (pSS) and NHL.

METHODS

Using the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan, we identified 15,636 patients with new-onset pSS without previous cancer and 25,074 patients with new-onset NHL without previous pSS as 2 non-overlapping cohorts from 1998 to 2012, and followed them until 2013. Standardized incidence ratios (SIR) for NHL in the patients with pSS and SIR for pSS in the patients with NHL were compared with the general population.

RESULTS

Among the 15,636 patients with pSS, 741 developed cancers, including 51 with NHL. The highest SIR of specific cancer risk in patients with pSS was that for NHL (SIR 4.6, 95% CI 3.4-6.0). Among the 25,074 patients with NHL, 49 developed pSS; the SIR was also increased (SIR 3.2, 95% CI 2.4-4.2). The risk was highest within 1 year after the diagnosis of each disease.

CONCLUSION

This nationwide population-based study is the first to report a bidirectional relationship between pSS and NHL. Our findings suggest being alert for patients with pSS or NHL who have early signs of the other disease in clinical care. The underlying mechanisms of the bidirectional relationship merit further investigation.