Telitacicept plus standard therapy in SLE patients with antiphospholipid antibodies
This prospective observational cohort study included 20 patients with active antiphospholipid antibody-positive systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and 20 healthy individuals. Patients received telitacicept in addition to standard therapy, with follow-up at weeks 12 and 24. The primary outcome was SRI-4 response at week 24.
Compared to healthy controls, patients with aPL-positive SLE had significantly higher proportions of double-negative B cells and plasmablasts among total B cells (both p < 0.05). The study also assessed dynamic changes in B-cell subsets and baseline predictors of treatment response as secondary outcomes.
Telitacicept was reported to be a safe and effective therapeutic option, though specific adverse event rates, serious adverse events, and discontinuations were not reported. The study did not identify key limitations.
Given the observational design and small sample size of 20 patients per group, these findings should be interpreted as hypothesis-generating. Clinicians should consider this regimen as a potential adjunctive therapy in this specific patient population, pending larger controlled studies.