Topical Mupirocin: A New Approach to Lowering Lupus Inflammation

Lupus, or systemic lupus erythematosus, often causes cutaneous lupus, leading to rashes, hair loss, and skin scarring. These rashes result from immune-driven inflammation. Standard treatment involves immunosuppressants and biologics, but many patients seek alternatives to medication (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Topical Mupirocin Treatment Reduces Interferon and Myeloid Signatures in Cutaneous Lupus Erythematous Lesions Through Targeting of Staphylococcus Species

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Staph Bacteria Linked to Lupus Rashes

Dr. J. Michelle Kahlenberg, a professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan Health, led a research team exploring mupirocin as a topical treatment. This study built on her earlier finding that cutaneous lupus rashes are frequently colonized by Staphylococcus aureus (staph), a common skin bacteria that worsens inflammation.

The study randomly selected systemic lupus erythematosus patients currently experiencing cutaneous lupus erythematosus flares to treat their skin lesions with mupirocin or with an inactive control, petrolatum jelly.

Samples from the nose and lesional skin were used to determine baseline and post treatment Staphylococcus abundance and microbial community profiles.

Paired samples collected prior to treatment with the topical solution and seven days after treatment showed decreases in lesional staphylococcus aureus in the mupirocin treated samples.

Importantly, the reduction in staph also was accompanied by a reduction in inflammatory signals, including interferon-driven gene expression, in the lesions.

“In addition to decreasing the inflammation by decreasing lesional staphylococcus aureus, the mupirocin treatment also lowered skin monocyte levels, which are important in driving cutaneous lupus,” said Kahlenberg.

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“Additional larger studies are needed to determine whether topical antibiotics will be helpful to make rashes go away,” Kahlenberg said.

“However, this is an exciting first step to show that there may be additional treatments that can improve inflammation beyond our usual immunosuppressant and biologic drugs.”

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Reference:

1. Topical Mupirocin Treatment Reduces Interferon and Myeloid Signatures in Cutaneous Lupus Erythematous Lesions Through Targeting of Staphylococcus Species - (https://acrjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/art.43079)

Source-Eurekalert