Baseline characteristics of systemic lupus erythematosus patients included in the Lupus Italian Registry of the Italian Society for Rheumatology

Lupus ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 096120332110124
Author(s):  
Gian Domenico Sebastiani ◽  
Francesca Romana Spinelli ◽  
Elena Bartoloni ◽  
Alessandra Bortoluzzi ◽  
Enrica Bozzolo ◽  
...  

Objective To report baseline data of SLE patients enrolled in the Lupus Italian Registry (LIRE). Methods Patients affected by SLE aged ≥ 16 years were consecutively recruited in a multicenter prospective study comparing two cohorts: patients starting biologic immunosuppressants (BC) and patients starting non-biologic immunosuppresants (NBC). Results 308 patients were enrolled, 179 in NBC and 129 in BC. Mean age at disease onset and at diagnosis was significantly higher in NBC (p = 0.023, p = 0.045, respectively). Disease duration was longer in BC (p = 0.022). Patients in BC presented arthritis more frequently (p = 0.024), those in NBC nephropathy (p = 0.03). Quality of life was worse in BC (p = 0.031). Anti-dsDNA, low C3, were significantly more frequent in BC (p < 0.001, p = 0.009, respectively). Mycophenolate, methotrexate and azathioprine were the drugs more frequently prescribed in NBC, Belimumab and Rituximab in BC. Conclusion The predominant organ involvement was different in the two cohorts: kidney involvement predominated in NBC, joint involvement in BC. Despite the younger age at disease onset, patients of the BC had a longer disease duration and more frequently had taken a cumulative prednisone dosage greater than 10 g. Even the pattern of clinical manifestations inducing to prescribe biological rather than conventional immunosuppressants was quite different. Keywords: Autoantibody(ies), autoimmune disease, belimumab, cohort studies, glucocorticoids, immunosuppressants, rituximab, systemic lupus erythematosus

Lupus ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 096120332110142
Author(s):  
Tamer A Gheita ◽  
Rasha Abdel Noor ◽  
Esam Abualfadl ◽  
Osama S Abousehly ◽  
Iman I El-Gazzar ◽  
...  

Objective The aim of this study was to present the epidemiology, clinical manifestations and treatment pattern of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in Egyptian patients over the country and compare the findings to large cohorts worldwide. Objectives were extended to focus on the age at onset and gender driven influence on the disease characteristics. Patients and method This population-based, multicenter, cross-sectional study included 3661 adult SLE patients from Egyptian rheumatology departments across the nation. Demographic, clinical, and therapeutic data were assessed for all patients. Results The study included 3661 patients; 3296 females and 365 males (9.03:1) and the median age was 30 years (17–79 years), disease duration 4 years (0–75 years) while the median age at disease onset was 25 years (4–75 years). The overall estimated prevalence of adult SLE in Egypt was 6.1/100,000 population (1.2/100,000 males and 11.3/100,000 females).There were 316 (8.6%) juvenile-onset (Jo-SLE) and 3345 adult-onset (Ao-SLE). Age at onset was highest in South and lowest in Cairo (p < 0.0001). Conclusion SLE in Egypt had a wide variety of clinical and immunological manifestations, with some similarities with that in other nations and differences within the same country. The clinical characteristics, autoantibodies and comorbidities are comparable between Ao-SLE and Jo-SLE. The frequency of various clinical and immunological manifestations varied between gender. Additional studies are needed to determine the underlying factors contributing to gender and age of onset differences.


2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 595-692
Author(s):  
Sherif M Gamal ◽  
Sally S. Mohamed ◽  
Marwa Tantawy ◽  
Ibrahem Siam ◽  
Ahmed Soliman ◽  
...  

Objectives: This study aims to examine the frequency and clinical association of lupus-related vasculitis in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Patients and methods: We retrospectively analyzed medical records of a total of 565 SLE patients (42 males, 523 females; mean age: 32.7±9.5 years; range, 13 to 63 years) between January 2017 and February 2020. Demographic, clinical data, and laboratory data and treatment modalities applied were recorded. Lupus-related vasculitis and its different types were documented, and the patients with vasculitis were compared with those without vasculitis. Results: The mean disease duration was 8.9±6.3 years. Vasculitis associated with lupus was found in 191 (33.45%) patients. Cutaneous vasculitis was found in 59.2%, visceral vasculitis in 34.0%, and both in 6.8% of total vasculitis patients. The patients with vasculitis had a longer disease duration (p=0.01), were more likely to have juvenile onset (p=0.002), livedo reticularis (p<0.001), Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) (p<0.001), digital gangrene (p<0.001), thrombosis (p=0.003), and cranial neuropathy (p=0.004). The patients with vasculitis showed a higher prevalence of hypercholesterolemia (p=0.045), diabetes mellitus (p=0.026), higher Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) at disease onset (p<0.001), and Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) Damage Index (p=0.003) scores. They had more prevalent hematological manifestations (p<0.001), hypocomplementemia (p=0.007), received a higher cumulative dose of intravenous methylprednisolone (p<0.001), and had also more frequent cyclophosphamide (p=0.016) and azathioprine intake (p<0.001). In the logistic regression analysis, SLE vasculitis was independently associated with juvenile disease onset, livedo reticularis, RP, hematological manifestations, and higher scores of SLEDAI at disease onset (p<0.05). Conclusion: Juvenile disease onset, livedo reticularis, RP, hematological manifestations, and higher SLEDAI scores at disease onset may be associated with the development of vasculitis in SLE patients.


Lupus ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (10) ◽  
pp. 1216-1226
Author(s):  
Beatriz Frade-Sosa ◽  
Javier Narváez ◽  
Tarek Carlos Salman-Monte ◽  
Raul Castellanos-Moreira ◽  
Vera Ortiz-Santamaria ◽  
...  

Background The concomitant presence of two autoimmune diseases – systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) – in the same patient is known as rhupus. We evaluated a group of patients with rhupus to clarify further their clinical, serological and immunogenic features in a multi-centre cohort. In addition, the study aimed to explore the utility of the 2019 European League Against Rheumatism/American College of Rheumatology (EULAR/ACR) SLE classification criteria in our group of patients with rhupus. Methods This was a cross-sectional study. We included rhupus patients from 11 different rheumatology departments, and compared them to SLE and RA patients at a ratio of 2:1. All information was recorded following a pre-established protocol. Results A total of 200 patients were included: 40 rhupus patients and 80 each of SLE and RA patients as controls. Disease duration was similar among SLE and rhupus groups (around 13 years), but the RA group had a significantly lower disease duration. Main clinical manifestations were articular (94.2%), cutaneous (77.5%) and haematological (72.5%). Rhupus patients had articular manifestations similar to those expected in RA. Only 10% of rhupus patients had renal involvement compared with 25% of those with SLE ( p < 0.05), while interstitial lung disease was more common in patients affected by RA. The 2019 EULAR/ACR SLE criteria were met in 92.5% of the rhupus patients and in 96.3% of the SLE cohort ( p > 0.05). Excluding the joint domain, there were no differences between the numbers of patients who met the classification criteria. Conclusion Rhupus patients follow a particular clinical course, with full expression of both SLE and RA in terms of organ involvement, except for a lower prevalence of kidney affection. The new 2019 EULAR/ACR SLE criteria are not useful for differentiating SLE and rhupus patients. A new way of classifying autoimmune diseases is needed to identify overlapping clusters.


2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-36
Author(s):  
Alina Dima ◽  
◽  
Camelia Badea ◽  
Eugenia Balanescu ◽  
Simona Caraiola ◽  
...  

Introduction. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease of unknown origins with increasing prevalence worldwide. Lupus clinical and immunological features are complex and heterogeneous, but peculiar characteristics in different population were described. Aim. Description of specific clinical and biological features of SLE patients. Methods. 134 patients fulfilling the 2012 SLE Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinic criteria were enrolled. Baseline characteristics and biological features (such as sex, age, age at disease onset, disease duration, tobacco and alcohol habits, cardiovascular and fracture risk factors) were collected in all consenting patients prospectively included. Also, disease activity scores such as Systemic Lupus Activity Measure (SLAM), European Consensus Lupus Activity Measurement, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index, and accrual damage Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology index were assessed when data needed for these scores were available. Results. A number of 134 SLE patients, majority of feminine sex (89.6%) were enrolled. The mean ± SD age at inclusion and onset age were 46.4 ± 12.9 years and 36.5 ± 12.2 years. 19.4% of patients included were current smokers. Regarding comorbidities, 8.5% associated diabetes and 41.8% hypertension. Anti-deoxyribonucleic acid antibodies were identified in the antecedents of only 50.4% of the searched cases; higher proportion of positivity was found for lupus anticoagulant, respectively 70.9%. Joint involvement was the most frequent clinical criterion used to sustain the lupus diagnosis (110 patients, 82.1%), while the hematological one the most frequent involvement at inclusion (50 patients, 37.3%). 67.9% of patients presented SLAM score results less or equal to 5 points, 10.4% results between 5 and 8 points, and 21.6% of more or equal to 8 points. The majority of patients enrolled were under corticosteroid treatment (109 patients, 81.3%) and also an important part was receiving Hydroxychloroquine (108 patients, 80.6%). Conclusion. In this cross-sectional study, we presented important data related to general characteristics, biological parameters, immunological features, disease scores, and treatment principles in a single-center sample of SLE patients.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Sophia Lionaki ◽  
George Liapis ◽  
Kalliope Vallianou ◽  
Chrysovalantis Vergadis ◽  
Ioannis Boletis

Kidney involvement is frequent in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), although it may not be present from disease onset. Renal lupus itself is highly heterogenous with respect to the combination and/or severity of clinical and/or laboratory manifestations. This is a case of a 45-year-old Caucasian female with an established diagnosis of SLE, who presented four times with new onset of proteinuria during a follow-up time of ten years, since the diagnosis of SLE. Specifically, she experienced two episodes of lupus membranous nephropathy, and after she achieved remission, she developed twice overt nephrotic syndrome associated with new and biopsy proven lupus podocytopathy. All these episodes of nephrotic syndrome were combined with systemic symptoms, attributed to lupus itself, while serological activity of lupus was also noted. This case highlights the importance of performing a kidney biopsy in all patients with SLE who have new renal manifestations, including nephrotic proteinuria.


2017 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 1008-1014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chunmei Li ◽  
Fengqing Tong ◽  
Yi Ma ◽  
Kai Qian ◽  
Junyu Zhang ◽  
...  

Objective To investigate the association of the CD11b single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs1143679 with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in Han Chinese patients, and to clarify this association with SLE clinical manifestations. Methods PCR–restriction fragment length polymorphism and direct sequencing of CD11b rs1143679 were conducted in 584 patients with SLE and 628 healthy controls in this case–control study to compare genotype and allele frequency distributions. Correlations between CD11b genotypes and clinical manifestations were also determined. Results The frequency of the CD11b rs1143679 GA genotype was 1.89% in Han Chinese patients with SLE, which was much lower than that of European and American populations, but close to the frequency observed in individuals from Hong Kong and Thailand. The CD11b rs1143679 GA genotype was also shown to confer susceptibility to SLE (odds ratio = 4.00, 95% confidence interval = 1.11–14.41). CD11b rs1143679 was found to be significantly associated with nephritis, but not with age of disease onset, arthritis, hematological involvement, or neural lesions. Conclusion CD11b rs1143679 appears to be associated with risk for SLE in the Han Chinese population, and may play an important role in the development of lupus nephritis.


Reumatismo ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 70 (2) ◽  
pp. 85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Emad ◽  
T. Gheita ◽  
H. Darweesh ◽  
P. Klooster ◽  
R. Gamal ◽  
...  

The aim was to explore possible correlations of antibodies to extractable nuclear antigens (ENA) with clinical manifestations and disease activity indices in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. A total of 70 consecutive SLE patients (64 females) were included. Disease activity was assessed by SLE activity index (SLEDAI), and British Isles Lupus Assessment Group (BILAG). Anti-Ro/SSA correlated positively with, headache (r=0.24, p=0.04), blurring of vision (r=0.25, p=0.03) and SLEDAI (r=0.25, p=0.04) and negatively with C3 (r=–0.35, p=0.003). Anti-Ro/SSA correlated with anti La/SSB antibodies (r=0.69, p<0.001), but not with anti-DNA, anti-RNP and anti-Sm antibodies. Anti-La/SSB antibodies correlated with headache (r=0.26, p=0.03), SLEDAI (r=0.25, p=0.03) and negatively with C3 (r=–0.34, p=0.004). Anti-La/SSB did not correlate with anti-RNP or anti-Sm antibodies. Anti-Sm antibodies correlated with disease duration (r=0.34, p=0.003), 24 hours urinary proteins (r=0.31, p=0.008), SLEDAI (r=0.31, p=0.009), BILAG renal score (r=0.29, p=0.02) and negatively with age at onset (r=–0.27, p=0.02), WBCs (r=–0.29, p=0.014) and C4 (r=–0.25, p=0.049). In multivariate analyses, anti-Ro/SSA antibodies remained associated with headache, blurring of vision and C3 and anti-La/SSB antibodies remained associated with C3 and with headache. Anti-Sm antibodies were independently associated with disease duration and total SLEDAI scores, while anti-RNP antibodies remained significantly associated with BILAG mucocutaneous scores only. Antibodies to ENAs are associated with clinical aspects of SLE and may play a role in the assessment of disease activity. Insight into these ENAs may lead to new approaches to diagnostic testing, accurate evaluation of disease activity and lead to target approach for SLE.


Lupus ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 372-379 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Z Cieslinski ◽  
T L Skare ◽  
R Nisihara ◽  
I J De Messias-Reason ◽  
S R R Utiyama

The complement system contributes to the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) is a key molecule of the lectin pathway of complement and seems to be related to the clinical manifestations of this disease. We evaluated the serum levels of MBL and its relationship with disease onset and clinical findings in SLE patients. Serum samples were analysed in 195 patients and 145 healthy controls from southern Brazil. Patients with high MBL levels (above 2000 ng/ml) showed a significant increase in the frequency of thrombocytopaenia ( p = 0.007; OR = 2.71; 95% CI = 1.32–5.55); and seizures ( p = 0.034; OR = 2.61; 95% CI = 1.07–6.37). A positive correlation between disease activity and MBL levels (>2000 ng/ml; p = 0.031, rho = 0.279) as well as of MBL concentration with accumulated organ damage ( p = 0.021; rho = 0.232) was observed. Our results suggest a role for MBL in the development of clinical manifestations such as thrombocytopaenia and seizures in SLE patients. These findings corroborate the participation of the lectin pathway of complement in the pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying clinical manifestations of SLE.


2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Elefante ◽  
Chiara Tani ◽  
Chiara Stagnaro ◽  
Viola Signorini ◽  
Alice Parma ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Remission or the lowest possible disease activity is the main target in the management of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Anyway, conflicting data are present in the literature regarding the correlation between physician-driven definitions and patient perception of the disease. The objective of this study is to evaluate the relationship between the definition of lupus low disease activity state (LLDAS) and patient’s health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Methods This is a cross-sectional, monocentric study. Adult SLE patients were included. For each patient, demographics, disease duration, medications, comorbidities, organ damage, active disease manifestations and SELENA-SLEDAI were assessed. Patients have been categorised as follows: LLDAS, remission and active disease. Each patient completed the following patient-reported outcomes (PROs): SF-36, LIT, FACIT-Fatigue and SLAQ. A SLAQ score < 6 (25° percentile of our cohort) was used as the cut-off value to define a low disease activity state according to patient self-evaluation. Results We enrolled 259 consecutive SLE patients (mainly female and Caucasian, mean age 45.33 ± 13.14 years, median disease duration 14 years). 80.3% were in LLDAS, of whom 82.2% were in remission; 19.7% were active. No differences emerged for any of the PROs used between the LLDAS and the active group. Considering the LLDAS subgroup, we identified 56 patients with a subjective low disease activity (SLAQ < 6) and we defined them as “concordant”; the remaining 152 patients in LLDAS presented a subjective active disease (SLAQ ≥ 6) and were defined “discordant”. Discordant patients presented more frequently ongoing and past joint involvement (p < 0.05) and a diagnosis of fibromyalgia (p < 0.01); furthermore, they were more likely to be on glucocorticoid therapy (p < 0.01). Discordant patients showed a significantly poorer HRQoL, assessed by all PROs (p < 0.0001). Conclusions Joint involvement, glucocorticoid therapy and comorbid fibromyalgia resulted to be the most important variables determining the poor concordance between patient and physician perspective on the disease.


Lupus ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 096120332199526
Author(s):  
Valeria Orefice ◽  
Fulvia Ceccarelli ◽  
Carmelo Pirone ◽  
Paola Galoppi ◽  
Francesca Romana Spinelli ◽  
...  

Objective Breastfeeding is a crucial moment for both mothers and child, providing a beneficial effect on child survival, nutrition, development and on maternal health. Despite the prevalent involvement of childbearing women in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), breastfeeding is still a neglected topic. The objective of this study was to evaluate breastfeeding frequency, duration and associated factors in SLE women. Methods We consecutively enrolled SLE pregnant women reporting demographic, clinical, serological, gynaecological and obstetric data. Breastfeeding experience was evaluated by using a specific questionnaire. Disease activity was assessed before and during pregnancy as well as during postpartum. Results A total of 57 pregnancies in 43 SLE women were included in the present study. In almost all the pregnancies, mothers planned to breastfeed their child (96.5%) and forty-one (71.9%) actually did breastfeed. The median time of breastfeeding was 3 months (IQR 7). Non-breastfeeding women showed a more frequent caesarean section (p = 0.0001), IUGR occurrence (p = 0.004) and disease relapse (p = 0.0001) after pregnancy. When comparing patients according with breastfeeding duration (cut-off 6 months), we found a significant more frequent smoking habitus (p = 0.02), caesarean section (p = 0.009), and joint involvement during postpartum (p = 0.0001) in women breastfeeding for less than or equal to 6 months, together with higher median BMI (p = 0.0001). Moreover, breastfeeding duration was positively associated with disease duration and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) treatment during disease history, pregnancy and postpartum. Conclusions SLE women didn’t show lower breastfeeding rate in comparison with general population but they presented higher prevalence of early discontinuation within three months. Early interruption was positively associated with smoking, BMI, joint involvement; meanwhile disease duration and HCQ treatment during postpartum were positively associated with a longer breastfeeding duration.


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