SynthesisLupus science & medicine2021
Impact of glucocorticoids on the incidence of lupus-related major organ damage: a systematic literature review and meta-regression analysis of longitudinal observational studies.
Synthesis in Lupus science & medicine, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 48 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
48 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Induction treatment of lupus nephritis: to pulse or not to pulse? Whether 'tis nobler to universally or selectively prescribe.Lupus science & medicine · 2026Pooled it
- Efficacy and safety of sequential therapy with subcutaneous belimumab and one cycle of rituximab in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: the phase 3, randomised, placebo-controlled BLISS-BELIEVE study.Annals of the rheumatic diseases · 2024Trial
- A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Phase III Extension Trial of the Long-Term Safety and Tolerability of Anifrolumab in Active Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.Arthritis & rheumatology (Hoboken, N.J.) · 2023Trial
- Efficacy of telitacicept in a refractory systemic lupus erythematosus patient with lupus nephritis and subsequent pregnancy: a case-based review.Clinical rheumatology · 2026Review
- Real-world treatment patterns and outcomes in moderate-to-severe SLE: findings from the Spanish SPOCS cohort.Lupus science & medicine · 2026Observational
- Predictive correlates of arthritis and joint damage in systemic lupus erythematosus: a multinational prospective cohort study.Rheumatology (Oxford, England) · 2026Article
- Article
- Fertility, pregnancy and lactation in women with systemic lupus erythematosus.Nature reviews. Rheumatology · 2026Review
- Observational
- Baseline characteristics of patients with SLE with and without lupus nephritis from the Latin American multiethnic GLADEL 2.0 cohort.Lupus science & medicine · 2026Observational
- Real-world experience of anifrolumab treatment in patients with moderate-to-severe SLE: a retrospective study of patients in early access programmes.Lupus science & medicine · 2026Observational
- Article
- Universal methylprednisolone pulses for the induction therapy of lupus nephritis: why not?Lupus science & medicine · 2026Article
- A real-world, triple-cohort study on the effectiveness and safety of telitacicept in immunosuppressant-naïve and refractory lupus nephritis.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Article
- Article
- Immune cells in systemic lupus erythematosus: biology and traditional Chinese medicine therapy.Acta pharmacologica Sinica · 2025Review
- Effect of rituximab on long-term damage acquisition in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.Rheumatology (Oxford, England) · 2025Article
- Clinical Outcomes of Patients with SLE Treated with Belimumab, Without Versus With Prior Immunosuppressant Use: a US Claims Database Study.Rheumatology and therapy · 2025Article
- Temporal trends in glucocorticoids and hydroxychloroquine for treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus in Sweden.Rheumatology (Oxford, England) · 2025Article
- Atherosclerotic Plaque Progression and Incident Cardiovascular Events in a 10-Year Prospective Study of Patients With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: The Impact of Persistent Cardiovascular Risk Factor Target Attainment and Sustained DORIS Remission.Arthritis & rheumatology (Hoboken, N.J.) · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
50 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveIn systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), disease activity and glucocorticoid (GC) exposure are known to contribute to irreversible organ damage. We aimed to examine the association between GC exposure and organ damage occurrence.
methodsWe conducted a literature search (PubMed (Medline), Embase and Cochrane January 1966-October 2021). We identified original longitudinal observational studies reporting GC exposure as the proportion of users and/or GC use with dose information as well as the occurrence of new major organ damage as defined in the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology Damage Index. Meta-regression analyses were performed. Reviews, case-reports and studies with <5 years of follow-up, <50 patients, different outcomes and special populations were excluded.
resultsWe selected 49 articles including 16 224 patients, 14 755 (90.9%) female with a mean age and disease duration of 35.1 years and of 37.1 months. The mean follow-up time was 104.9 months. For individual damage items, the average daily GC dose was associated with the occurrence of overall cardiovascular events and with osteoporosis with fractures. A higher average cumulative dose adjusted (or not)/number of follow-up years and a higher proportion of patients on GC were associated with the occurrence of osteonecrosis.
conclusionsWe confirm associations of GC use with three specific damage items. In treating patients with SLE, our aim should be to maximise the efficacy of GC and to minimise their harms.
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