Abstract:

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a diffuse, systemic autoimmune disorder that can impact multiple organs and systems, with patients exhibiting abnormal levels of various autoantibodies and immune markers in their serum. It is currently understood that dysregulation of B cells activation plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of SLE, as aberrantly activated B cells produce autoantibodies that inflict damage on multiple organs through complement activation and antibody-dependent cell-mediated cyto-toxicity. Traditional therapies for SLE may prove ineffective for certain patients or lead to adverse reactions. In most instances, conventional treatment merely alleviates symptoms and necessitates lifelong immunotherapy. A limited number of clinical cases have explored chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T) therapy as a potential treatment for autoimmune diseases such as SLE. Research indicates that CAR-T can specifically target CD19 expressed on the surface of B cells and plasma cells, achieving profound depletion while minimizing drug-related side effects. This report details a female patient diagnosed with SLE and lupus nephritis who was successfully treated using dual-targeting B cells maturation antigen CAR-T by our research team; following treatment, she ceased steroid and immunomodulator use, attaining sustained remission without these medications. The patient was a 23-year-old female. Multiple examinations in other hospitals and in our hospital showed positive anti-double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) antibody and low complement C3. Renal biopsy in our hospital showed lupus nephritis Ⅳ-G (A/C), and National Institutes of Health (NIH) activity index (AI) score=4. She was diagnosed with "SLE, lupus nephritis (LN)". She was treated with hormones, immunosuppressants and Chinese medicine, but the effect was not good. After the CAR-T treatment, She stopped using hormones and immune agents and achieved continuous remission with zero hormones and zero immune agents. She became pregnant six months after CAR-T infusion, and gave birth to a healthy full-term, full-weight baby successfully. She is the first patient in China who successfully discontinued hormone, immune preparations and gave birth after CAR-T therapy. During the follow-up of the patient, we found that the immune indexes had basically returned to normal, and the safety was good. It indicates that CAR-T therapy may represent a promising and innovative therapeutic approach for the management of SLE. This offers hope and establishes a precedent for SLE women of childbearing age.

Key words: Systemic lupus erythematosus, Chimeric antigen receptor T cells, Pregnancy and parturition, Antirheumatic agents