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Lupus Science & Medicine

Lupus Science & Medicine is a global, peer-reviewed, open access online journal and an official journal of the Lupus Foundation of America that publishes basic, clinical, translational, and epidemiological studies on all aspects of lupus and related diseases.

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Subject Rheumatology
Impact Factor 3.5
Quartile Q2
Open Access Type Hybrid
ISSN 2053-8790
eISSN 2053-8790
Invitation Only No
Cost Range Full Article Processing Charge waiver (100% discount) is available for authors in low and lower-middle-income countries, with other discount requests considered case by case.

Submission Instructions

Lupus Science & Medicine accepts the following article types. Click on an article type to view submission instructions.

Original Research

Cover Letter Cover Letter requirements are not specified.
Abstract A structured abstract is required for Original Research. Abstract must not exceed 300 words. Abstract must be structured. Abstract must use the headings Objective, Methods, Results, and Conclusions.
Manuscript Manuscript must not exceed 4000 words excluding references. Manuscript should follow the structure abstract, introduction, methods, results, discussion, references, and tables and figures as appropriate. Manuscript must include 3 to 5 keywords, key messages after the abstract under 'What is already known on this topic', 'What this study adds', and 'How this study might affect research, practice or policy', and a Patient and Public Involvement statement in the Methods section.
References Reference list may include up to 50 references. References must follow BMJ Vancouver style. References must be cited in numerical order and list the first three authors by last name and initials followed by 'et al' for additional authors.
Figures & Tables Manuscript may include up to five figures and/or tables. Tables must be embedded in the main manuscript where first cited, while figures must be uploaded as separate files. Figure legends must be provided at the end of the manuscript and tables must include appropriate legends.
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Systematic Review

Cover Letter Cover Letter requirements are not specified.
Abstract Abstract must be structured.
Manuscript Manuscript must follow the Original Research article requirements, and the title must identify the article as a systematic review. Keywords should use MeSH descriptors, and the manuscript must include statements on contributorship, competing interests, and funding.
References References must follow BMJ Vancouver style. References must be cited in the main text in numerical order and list the first three authors followed by "et al" if applicable.
Figures & Tables Tables must be embedded in the main Word document where first cited, while figures must be uploaded as separate files. Tables must include appropriate legends, and figure legends must be provided at the end of the manuscript.
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Review

Cover Letter Cover Letter requirements are not specified.
Abstract An abstract is required.
Manuscript The manuscript must be ordered as abstract, main text under appropriate headings and subheadings, tables, acknowledgments/competing interests/funding and other required statements, and references. Keywords should use MeSH descriptors, and statements on contributorship, competing interests, and funding must be included.
References References must follow BMJ Vancouver style. References must be cited in numerical order in the main text, list the first three authors followed by et al if applicable, and include the article title plus DOI or PubMed ID.
Figures & Tables Tables must be embedded in the main Word document where first cited, while figures must be uploaded as separate files and figure legends placed at the end of the manuscript. Tables must be in Word format with appropriate legends, and figures must be supplied in an acceptable format and cited in numerical order.
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Short Report

Cover Letter Cover Letter requirements are not specified.
Abstract A structured abstract is required for Short Reports. The abstract must be no more than 300 words. The abstract must be structured. The abstract must use the subheadings Objective, Methods, Results, and Conclusions.
Manuscript The manuscript must be no more than 1500 words. Short Reports must follow the same structure as full Original Research papers. Key messages must appear after the abstract under the headings 'What is already known on this topic', 'What this study adds', and 'How this study might affect research, practice or policy', and must be no more than 3 to 5 sentences.
References Short Reports may include up to 15 references. References must follow BMJ Vancouver style. References must be cited in the main text in numerical order and list the first three authors by last name and initials followed by 'et al' for additional authors if applicable.
Figures & Tables Short Reports may include up to 3 tables and/or illustrations. Tables must be embedded in the main manuscript where first cited, while figures must be uploaded as separate files. Figure legends must be provided at the end of the manuscript, and tables must include appropriate legends.
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Letter

Cover Letter Cover Letter requirements are not specified.
Abstract Abstract requirements are not specified.
Manuscript Letters are limited to 1000 words.
References Letters may include up to 3 references. References must follow BMJ Vancouver style. References must be cited in the main text in numerical order and list the first three authors followed by "et al" when applicable.
Figures & Tables Letters may include one table/illustration. Tables must be embedded in the main Word document where first cited, while figures must be uploaded as separate files. Figure legends must be provided at the end of the manuscript and tables must include appropriate legends.
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Recent Publications

Antiphospholipid antibody associated retinal microvascular impairment: a case report and literature review

Erqian Wang, Jun Li, Lu Sun, Youxin Chen, Jiuliang Zhao

10.1136/lupus-2026-002023
View Publication

Anti-CD19 monoclonal antibody for systemic lupus erythematosus and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder

Pamela Gonzalez Manrique, Isabelle Ayoub, Tirisham Gyang, Judith Lin

10.1136/lupus-2025-001919
View Publication

Incidence of serious infections, herpes zoster and hepatitis B virus reactivation among patients with SLE: a cohort study using a health claims database in Japan

Masataka Kuwana, Toshiki Yabe-Wada, Takehiro Hirai, Yuki Kato, Yoshiyuki Yamaguchi

10.1136/lupus-2025-001879
View Publication

Comparison of BAFF and type I IFN activity in blood and placenta in SLE and healthy pregnancies

Agnes Torell, Kerstin Andersson, Iva Gunnarsson, Elisabet Svenungsson, Agneta Zickert, Maria Majczuk Sennström, Estelle Trysberg, Anders A Bengtsson, Andreas Jönsen, Helena Strevens, Christopher Sjöwall, Muna Saleh, Sofia Pihl, Dag Leonard, Lars Ronnblom, Tansim Akhter, Fariba Roshanzamir, Henrik Zetterberg, Johan Bylund, Bo Jacobsson, Anna Rudin, Anna-Carin Lundell, Marit Stockfelt

10.1136/lupus-2026-002020
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Comparison of aspirin and rivaroxaban for the prevention of pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis in high thrombotic risk patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: study protocol for a multicentre, prospective, randomised controlled trial

Zixi Zhang, Fen Li, Yasong Li, Zhengquan Xie, Jinfeng Du, Ni Mao, Shu Li, Yiming Liu, Yan Ge, Jia Wang, Qi Tang, Jin Kang, Xiaofei Peng, Wei Cheng, Yixi Li, Pengfei Xu, Yichao Xiao, Tao Tu, Xi Xie, Qiming Liu

10.1136/lupus-2026-001981
View Publication

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to publish?

Median time to first decision with review is 39 days. The journal states it provides fast editorial decisions and a very short time to publication.

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Is a cover letter required?

A cover letter is mentioned for Protocol submissions when the word count exceeds 4,000 words.

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What are the publication costs?

Article Processing Charges apply for open access publishing, with a 100% waiver for authors in low and lower-middle-income countries and other discounts considered case by case.

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Research Topics

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Research Rheumatoid Arthritis Research and Therapies Multiple Sclerosis Research Studies Systemic Sclerosis and Related Diseases Cytomegalovirus and herpesvirus research Liver Diseases and Immunity Spondyloarthritis Studies and Treatments Renal Transplantation Outcomes and Treatments Pregnancy and Medication Impact T-cell and B-cell Immunology Renal Diseases and Glomerulopathies Atherosclerosis and Cardiovascular Diseases interferon and immune responses Diabetes and associated disorders Drug-Induced Ocular Toxicity Platelet Disorders and Treatments Monoclonal and Polyclonal Antibodies Research Pregnancy and preeclampsia studies Autoimmune and Inflammatory Disorders Research Complement system in diseases Chronic Kidney Disease and Diabetes Peripheral Neuropathies and Disorders Retinal Diseases and Treatments Immune Cell Function and Interaction Vasculitis and related conditions

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