Clinical significance of anti-DNA/N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor 2 antibodies in de novo and post-steroid cases with neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus

Emerging Molecular Markers Towards Potential Diagnostic Panels for Lupus

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multifactorial autoimmune disease which can affect various tissues and organs, posing significant challenges for clinical diagnosis and treatment. The etiology of SLE is highly complex with contributions from environmental factors, stochastic factors as well as genetic susceptibility. The current criteria for diagnosing SLE is based primarily on a combination of clinical presentations and traditional lab testing. However, these tests have suboptimal sensitivity and specificity. They are unable to indicate disease cause or guide physicians in decision-making for treatment. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a more accurate and robust tool for effective clinical management and drug development in lupus patients. It is fortunate that the emerging Omics have empowered scientists in the discovery and identification of potential novel biomarkers of SLE, especially the markers from blood, urine, cerebrospinal fluids (CSF), and other bodily fluids. However, many of these markers have not been carefully validated for clinical use. In addition, it is apparent that individual biomarkers lack sensitivity or specificity. This review summarizes the sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic value of emerging biomarkers from recent studies, and discusses the potential of these markers in the development of biomarker panel based diagnostics or disease monitoring system in SLE.

Cognitive Impairment in SLE: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Approaches

A wide range of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) suffer from cognitive dysfunction (CD) which severely impacts their quality of life. However, CD remains underdiagnosed and poorly understood. Here, we discuss current findings in patients and in animal models. Strong evidence suggests that CD pathogenesis involves known mechanisms of tissue injury in SLE. These mechanisms recruit brain resident cells, in particular microglia, into the pathological process. While systemic immune activation is critical to central nervous system injury, the current focus of therapy is the microglial cell and not the systemic immune perturbation. Further studies are critical to examine additional potential therapeutic targets and more specific treatments based on the cause and progress of the disease.

Diversity of neuropsychiatric manifestations in systemic lupus erythematosus

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterised by diverse organ damages resulting from various autoantibodies, such as antinuclear or anti-DNA antibodies. Neuropsychiatric lupus (NPSLE) refers to the neurological and psychiatric disorders complicated with SLE and can be challenging for physicians to manage. NPSLE has a broad spectrum and high heterogeneity of clinical phenotypes, including headaches, psychiatric symptoms and peripheral neuropathy. Additionally, various immune effectors have been reported to contribute to the pathogenesis, including cytokines, cell-mediated inflammation and brain-reactive autoantibodies. In some patients with SLE, neuropsychiatric symptoms develop for the first time after the initiation of the steroid treatment, hindering the differentiation from steroid psychosis. The administration of high doses of steroids in patients with SLE is believed to trigger psychiatric symptoms. No clear evidence has yet been found regarding the treatment of NPSLE. Therefore, NPSLE-specific markers need to be developed, and treatment guidelines should be established. This article provides an overview of NPSLE as well as its pathogenesis and treatment.