Optimal Glucocorticoid Therapy in Lupus Nephritis - Dr. Ali Duarte Garcia (Rochester, MN, USA)

Dr. Ali Duarte Garcia presents topical ideas on the best use of steroid treatment in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus in nephrology, focusing upon his recent Review paper “Optimal Glucocorticoid Therapy in Lupus Nephritis“ in Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation - NDT, which has been picked by the journal's Editor-in-Chief Dr. Hans-Joachim Anders and by MARKUS @ HOMe editors as our “NDT's Paper of the Month”.

Dr. Ali Duarte Garcia is a rheumatologist with special interest in systemic autoimmune diseases, and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science.
His clinical and academic work focusses upon diagnosis, evaluation and management of systemic lupus erythematosus and antiphospholipid syndrome.

The interview was recorded on April 7th, 2025

Moderators: Prof. Dr. Kirsten de Groot (Offenbach, Germany), Prof. Dr. Hans-Joachim Anders (Munich, Germany), Prof. Dr. Andreas Kronbichler (Innsbruck, Austria) and Prof. Dr. Gunnar Heine (Homburg, Germany).

Articles discussed:

Optimal Glucocorticoid Therapy in Lupus Nephritis.
Figueroa-Parra G, Bautista-Vargas M, Navarro-Mendoza E, Duarte-García A.
Nephrol Dial Transplant 2024
doi: 10.1093/ndt/gfae294

Hydroxychloroquine for all patients with lupus nephritis: yes.
Pappa M, Boumpas DT, Fanouriakis A
Nephrol Dial Transplant 2024
doi: 10.1093/ndt/gfae280

Hydroxychloroquine for all patients with lupus nephritis: No.
Caravaca-Fontán F, Yandian F, Fervenza FC
Nephrol Dial Transplant 2024
doi: 10.1093/ndt/gfae254

Plasma Exchange and Glucocorticoids in Severe ANCA-Associated Vasculitis.
Walsh M, Merkel PA, Peh CA, Szpirt WM, Puéchal X, Fujimoto S, Hawley CM, Khalidi N, Floßmann O, Wald R, Girard LP, Levin A, Gregorini G, Harper L, Clark WF, Pagnoux C, Specks U, Smyth L, Tesar V, Ito-Ihara T, de Zoysa JR, Szczeklik W, Flores-Suárez LF, Carette S, Guillevin L, Pusey CD, Casian AL, Brezina B, Mazzetti A, McAlear CA, Broadhurst E, Reidlinger D, Mehta S, Ives N, Jayne DRW; PEXIVAS Investigators.
N Engl J Med 2020
doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1803537

2019 Update of the Joint European League Against Rheumatism and European Renal Association-European Dialysis and Transplant Association (EULAR/ERA-EDTA) recommendations for the management of lupus nephritis.
Fanouriakis A, Kostopoulou M, Cheema K, Anders HJ, Aringer M, Bajema I, Boletis J, Frangou E, Houssiau FA, Hollis J, Karras A, Marchiori F, Marks SD, Moroni G, Mosca M, Parodis I, Praga M, Schneider M, Smolen JS, Tesar V, Trachana M, van Vollenhoven RF, Voskuyl AE, Teng YKO, van Leew B, Bertsias G, Jayne D, Boumpas DT.
Ann Rheum Dis 2020
doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2020-216924

Efficacy and safety of voclosporin versus placebo for lupus nephritis (AURORA 1): a double-blind, randomised, multicentre, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial.
Rovin BH, Teng YKO, Ginzler EM, Arriens C, Caster DJ, Romero-Diaz J, Gibson K, Kaplan J, Lisk L, Navarra S, Parikh SV, Randhawa S, Solomons N, Huizinga RB
Lancet 2021
doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(21)00578-X.

A randomized, controlled double-blind study comparing the efficacy and safety of dose-ranging voclosporin with placebo in achieving remission in patients with active lupus nephritis.
Rovin BH, Solomons N, Pendergraft WF 3rd, Dooley MA, Tumlin J, Romero-Diaz J, Lysenko L, Navarra SV, Huizinga RB; AURA-LV Study Group
Kidney Int 2019
doi: 10.1016/j.kint.2018.08.025

Avacopan for the Treatment of ANCA-Associated Vasculitis.
Jayne DRW, Merkel PA, Schall TJ, Bekker P; ADVOCATE Study Group.
N Engl J Med 2021
doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2023386