Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39776056›Full record

ArticleRheumatology and therapy2025

Real-World Prevalence, Incidence and Management of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in Germany: A Retrospective Claims Data Analysis.

Tobias Alexander, Philipp Sewerin, Anja Strangfeld, Marcus Schulte, Julia Borchert, Tarcyane Barata Garcia, Eva Schrom

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Rheumatology and therapy, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Tobias AlexanderCharité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin und Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany. tobias.alexander@charite.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1193-0097
Philipp SewerinDepartment and Hiller Research Unit for Rheumatology, UKD, Heinrich-Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany.
Anja StrangfeldCharité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin und Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Marcus SchulteAmgen GmbH, Munich, Germany.
Julia BorchertWIG2 GmbH Scientific Institute for Health Economics and Health System Research, Leipzig, Germany.
Tarcyane Barata GarciaWIG2 GmbH Scientific Institute for Health Economics and Health System Research, Leipzig, Germany.
Eva SchromAmgen GmbH, Munich, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThis study evaluated the prevalence and incidence of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in Germany and explored real-world data on sequence of therapy (SOT; sequence of drugs as prescribed in clinical practice).

methodsThis retrospective, observational, longitudinal cohort study using German claims data from the WIG2 GmbH Scientific Institute for Health Economics and Health System Research database (January 2011-December 2019), extrapolated to the statutory health insurance (SHI)-insured population, evaluated prevalence and incidence in an epidemiological analysis group and SLE treatment patterns in an incident cohort (subgroup ≥ 18 years of age with incident disease and ≥ 24-month follow-up post index date). Analyses were descriptive.

resultsBased on the epidemiological analysis (N = 3017), annual SLE prevalence per 100,000 gradually increased from 40.47 in 2012 to 59.87 in 2019 in the SHI population. In contrast, annual SLE incidence was relatively stable, ranging from 8.83 in 2012 to 8.86 in 2019. In the incident cohort (n = 941), based on SOT analysis (n = 681), treatment gaps of > 60 days were common: 67.1%, 51.2% and 54.9% in SOT1, SOT2 and SOT3, respectively. Corticosteroids were the most frequent monotherapy in SOT1 (31.0% vs 0% in SOT2/SOT3); 30.0-70.0% of patients received a corticosteroid combination therapy across SOTs. Over 50% of patients in each SOT received an antimalarial therapy (combination or monotherapies). The use of biologic disease-modifying drugs was low, ranging from 0.4% in SOT1 to 9.7% in SOT3.

conclusionsOur data demonstrate an increased prevalence of SLE with stable incidence in Germany, suggesting improved survival of affected patients. Nevertheless, suboptimal treatment patterns, including limited use of biologics, reflect a high unmet need for optimised and personalised therapies in patients with SLE.

Indexed as

Autoimmune diseasesEpidemiologyImmune system diseasesPrevalenceSystemic lupus erythematosus

Identifiers

PMID39776056
PMCPMC11920567

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.