AUTHOR=Wang Jing , Ju Bomiao , Zhu Li , Li Hanchao , Luo Jing , Zhang Jing , Hu Nan , Mo Lingfei , Wang Yanhua , Pan Ying , Huang Jing , Lv Xiaohong , Pu Dan , Hao Zhiming , He Lan , Li Yuanyuan TITLE=The rapid inhibition of B-cell activation markers by belimumab was associated with disease control in systemic lupus erythematosus patients JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pharmacology VOLUME=14 YEAR=2023 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2023.1080730 DOI=10.3389/fphar.2023.1080730 ISSN=1663-9812 ABSTRACT=

Objective: To examine the kinetics of B cell subsets and activation markers in the early stage of belimumab treatment and their correction with treatment response.

Methods: We enrolled 27 systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients receiving 6 months belimumab treatment. Flow cytometry was used to test their B cell subsets and activation markers (including CD40, CD80, CD95, CD21^low, CD22, p-SYK and p-AKT).

Results: During belimumab treatment, SLEDAI-2K declined, the proportions of CD19⁺ B cells and naïve B cells decreased, whereas the switched memory B cells and non-switched B cells increased. The larger variations of the B cell subsets and the activation markers were in the first 1 month than the other later time frames. The ratio of p-SYK/p-AKT on non-switched B cell at 1 month was associated with the SLEDAI-2K decline rate in the 6 months of belimumab treatment.

Conclusion: B cell hyperactivity was rapidly inhibited in the early stage of belimumab treatment, and the ratio of p-SYK/p-AKT may predict SLEDAI-2K decline.

Clinical Trial Registration:https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04893161?term=NCT04893161&draw=2&rank=1; identifier: NCT04893161.