Radical Improvement of Signs and Symptoms in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus when Treated with Hemodiafiltration with Endogenous Reinfusion Dialysis

Lupus nephritis is one of the most serious complications of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). In the kidney, immune complexes and autoantibodies activate mesangial cells that secrete cytokines that can further amplify inflammatory processes. We present the case of a 42-year-old woman with lupus nephritis accompanied by periods of exacerbation of SLE, with necrotic-like skin lesions, psoriatic arthritis without skin psoriasis, purpura of the lower limb, petechial rash, joint pain, fever, eyelid edema with bilateral conjunctival hyperemia and itching. The patient underwent a dialytic treatment of hemodiafiltration with endogenous reinfusion. The technique uses the super-high-flux membrane Synclear 02 (SUPRA treatment) coupled with an adsorbent cartridge that has affinity for many toxins and mediators. Fever and joint pain were immediately reduced after treatment and, subsequently, there was a notable reduction of the skin damage. Prednisone and immunosuppressive drugs were gradually reduced until complete suspension. High-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer was performed for identification of proteins captured by a resin bed during a dialysis session of the patient. This technique identified several biomarkers of kidney injuries, uremic toxins, fragments of immunoglobulins, antigens involved in antiphospholipid syndrome and a new marker (α-defensin) that correlated significantly with disease activity. The removal of these different proteins could possibly provide an explanation of the improvement in the patient's symptoms and the normalization of her SLE. SUPRA coupled with an adsorption may be a promising new technique for the treatment of lupus nephritis.