Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical efficacy and short-term prognosis of belimumab in treating pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 208 pediatric patients with SLE who were admitted to our hospital between June 2019 and May 2023. Patients who received conventional glucocorticoid (GCs) treatment were assigned to the control group (n=118), while those who received GCs combined with belimumab were assigned to the observation group (n=90). RESULTS: The observation group exhibited a higher total effective rate, faster symptom improvement, and a lower SLEDAI-2K score (all P<0.05). After 24 weeks of treatment, the observation group showed lower levels of antinuclear antibody (ANA), anti-double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) antibody, antinucleosome (AnuA), immunoglobulin A (IgA), immunoglobulin G (IgG), immunoglobulin M (IgM), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), and 24-hour urine protein (all P<0.05). Meanwhile, levels of complement C3, complement C4, white blood cell count, hemoglobin, and platelet count were higher (all P<0.05). The average daily reduction in GCs dosage was greater in the observation group (P<0.05). No significant difference in adverse reactions was observed between the two groups (P>0.05). The observation group had a lower cumulative recurrence rate within 6 months (P<0.05). A decrease in ANA levels was identified as an independent protective factor against SLE recurrence (OR=0.860, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Conventional glucocorticoid therapy combined with belimumab effectively enhances treatment outcomes in pediatric SLE patients, reduces the risk of short-term recurrence, and does not increase adverse reactions.