Novel therapies in the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus.

This review highlights the advances made in the use of biological and immunomodulatory agents in systemic lupus erythematosus. Although there have been disappointments (eg, anti-CD40 ligand, DNAse), it is clear that DHEA and mycophenolate mofetil will have a place in the management of the disease. In our opinion, leflunomide and LJP-394 are the most promising therapies currently, under study.

Use of hyperbaric oxygen in rheumatic diseases: case report and critical analysis.

Hyperbaric oxygen has been used in patients with rheumatic disease for many years without reports of untoward or unusual complications for a variety of non-rheumatic indications. Recent evidence that hyperbaric oxygen inhibits the actions of certain cytokines, acts as an immune modulator and may help cognitive dysfunction has resulted in a re-examination of its potential role in rheumatic diseases. A case report of a lupus/scleroderma crossover patient is presented whose cognitive dysfunction improved after hyperbaric oxygen therapy. The history of hyperbaric oxygen and its physiology are related, along with a focused review of its effects on the immune and central nervous systems. Areas which might warrant further consideration by rheumatologists are outlined, as well as areas of concern.

Use of autologous pregnancy plasma to treat a flare of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis: case report and literature review.

A patient with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis whose disease was in remission during pregnancy underwent third-trimester plasmaphereses. The stored plasma was returned to her 1 year postpartum, when the disease flared, without beneficial results. The literature on the use of blood products in rheumatoid arthritis and pregnancy is reviewed.