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Evidence summaries

Hydroxychloroquine in the Treatment of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Discontinuing hydroxychloroquine medication in stabile systemic lupus erythematosus may increase the risk or relapse. Level of evidence: "C"

Forty-seven patients with stabile SLE were randomised to continue hydroxychloroquine (n=25) or receive placebo (n=22) for 24 weeks 1. The risk of relapse was 2.5 times higher in the placebo recipients (95% CI 1.08 to 5.58) compared to those who continued to receive hydroxychloroquine (activation of the disease was observed in 16 patients in the placebo group and 9 patients in the hydroxychloroquine group).

For a review see reference 2.

Comment: The quality of evidence is downgraded by sparse data and potential publication bias (no systematic literature search was performed).

    References

    • A randomized study of the effect of withdrawing hydroxychloroquine sulfate in systemic lupus erythematosus. The Canadian Hydroxychloroquine Study Group. N Engl J Med 1991 Jan 17;324(3):150-4. [PubMed]
    • Wallace DJ. Antimalarial agents and lupus. Rheum Dis Clin North Am 1994 Feb;20(1):243-63. [PubMed]

Primary/Secondary Keywords