Possible risk factors associated with greater damage in systemic lupus erythematosus patients: an Egyptian multicenter study

Organ damage in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus patients: A multifactorial phenomenon

The prevention of chronic damage, especially in early disease phases, remains an unmet need in the management of Systemic Lupus Erythematous (SLE) patients, despite the application of a so-called treat-to-target strategy. The high proportion of SLE patients developing chronic damage suggests a multifactorial aetiology. Thus, besides disease activity, other factors may contribute to the development of damage. The revision of data published so far underlines that, next to disease activity, it is possible to identify other factors playing a relevant role in damage development and progression. In summary, the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies and drugs used to treat SLE patients, in particular glucocorticoids, is strongly associated with SLE-related damage. Furthermore, recent data suggests the possible role of genetic background in determining the development of specific organ damage, in particular renal and neurological. Nonetheless, demographic factors, such as age, sex and disease duration could exert a role along with the presence of comorbidities. The contribution of different factors in determining damage development suggests the need for new outcomes to assess a comprehensive disease control including not only the assessment of disease activity, but also the evaluation of chronic damage development.

Predictors of admission to intensive care unit among systemic lupus erythematosus patients: prospective study

Background

Through the disease course, different prognostic factors have been addressed in patients with SLE admitted to intensive care unit. For instance, higher disease activity on admission, recent immunosuppressive therapy, infections, renal disease, and central nervous system involvement, all had negative effects on the outcome of the disease. It is still a clinical challenge for the physicians to manage this disease which has many aspects regarding its pathogenesis, clinical presentation, and its outcome remains to be explained.

The aim of our study was determining the course, outcome, and determinants of admission to intensive care unit in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Results

Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus admitted to the intensive care unit in the study sample was 21.4%, and the death rate among them is 18.2%. In our study, the main causes of intensive care admission were cardiovascular causes followed by renal failure then infections. Holding the other covariates constant, a higher value of CRP, SLEDAI, and damage index value is associated with intensive care admission among lupus patients.

Conclusion

Our study showed that systemic lupus erythematosus patients with a higher value of CRP, SLEDAI, and damage index value were liable for intensive care unit admission. Good control of disease activity of SLE which in turn reduces damage of different body systems is mandatory. Periodic screening for functions of renal and cardiac systems is of great value. Proper screening and prophylaxis is recommended against variable causes of infections. Rheumatologists should be careful in controlling SLE active disease and to balance the doses of immunosuppressive especially in the presence of infection. They should focus the research on finding more accurate infection predictive index parameters to early predict the onset of infection.

Impact of glucocorticoids on the incidence of lupus-related major organ damage: a systematic literature review and meta-regression analysis of longitudinal observational studies

OBJECTIVE

In systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), disease activity and glucocorticoid (GC) exposure are known to contribute to irreversible organ damage. We aimed to examine the association between GC exposure and organ damage occurrence.

METHODS

We conducted a literature search (PubMed (Medline), Embase and Cochrane January 1966-October 2021). We identified original longitudinal observational studies reporting GC exposure as the proportion of users and/or GC use with dose information as well as the occurrence of new major organ damage as defined in the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology Damage Index. Meta-regression analyses were performed. Reviews, case-reports and studies with <5 years of follow-up, <50 patients, different outcomes and special populations were excluded.

RESULTS

We selected 49 articles including 16 224 patients, 14 755 (90.9%) female with a mean age and disease duration of 35.1 years and of 37.1 months. The mean follow-up time was 104.9 months. For individual damage items, the average daily GC dose was associated with the occurrence of overall cardiovascular events and with osteoporosis with fractures. A higher average cumulative dose adjusted (or not)/number of follow-up years and a higher proportion of patients on GC were associated with the occurrence of osteonecrosis.

CONCLUSIONS

We confirm associations of GC use with three specific damage items. In treating patients with SLE, our aim should be to maximise the efficacy of GC and to minimise their harms.

Prevalence of hospital readmissions and related factors in patients with autoimmune diseases

Objective

Autoimmune diseases generate an impact on the morbidity and mortality of patients and are a burden for the health system through hospital admissions and readmissions. The prevalence of readmission of patients with these diseases has not yet been described as a group, but rather as sub-phenotype. The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of hospital readmissions in a Colombian population with autoimmunity and the factors related to readmission.

Methods

All patients with autoimmune diseases who were evaluated by the rheumatology service and hospitalized between August 2018 and December 2019 at the Fundación Hospital Infantil Universitario De San José de Bogotá were described. A bivariate analysis was done, and three multivariate logistic regression models were built with the dependent variable being readmission.

Results

Of the total 199 admissions, 131 patients were evaluated and 32% were readmitted. The most frequent sub-phenotype in both groups (readmission and no readmission) was SLE (51% and 59%). The most frequent cause of hospitalization and readmission was disease activity (68.7% and 64.3%). History of hypertension was associated with readmission (adjusted OR: 2.98-95% CI: 1.15-7.72). In a second model adjusted for confounding variables, no factor was associated. In a third model analyzing the history of kidney disease and previous use of immunosuppressants (adjusted for confounding variables), the previous use of immunosuppressants was related to readmission (OR: 2.78-95% CI 1.12-6.89).

Conclusion

Up to a third of patients with autoimmunity were readmitted and arterial hypertension was an associated factor. This suggested a greater systemic compromise and accumulated damage in patients who have these two conditions that may favor readmission. A history of immunosuppressant use may play a role in readmission, possibly by increasing the risk of developing infections.

Clinical Features and Disease Damage Risk Factors in an Egyptian SLE Cohort: A Multicenter Study

BACKGROUND

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has a variable natural history and clinical characteristics.

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to evaluate the clinical and immunological characteristics, and assess the disease accrual of an Egyptian SLE cohort.

METHODS

The study included 569 SLE patients who were collected from three different centers; demographic, laboratory data, cumulative manifestations, and comorbidities were assessed (characteristics at the time of diagnosis were recorded retrospectively, while current clinical data were recorded cross-sectionally). Evaluation of disease activity was done using Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index score (SLEDAI) and damage by Systemic Lupus International Collaborative Clinics/American College of Rheumatology Damage Index (SDI).

RESULTS

The median age of patients at disease onset was 25.0±10.5 years, the median disease duration was 4.0 (6.5) years, the female to male ratio was (12.5:1), and the median SLEDAI was 12.0±14.0. Family history of SLE was noticed in 4%. Antinuclear antibody was positive in all patients and 86% had positive anti-double-stranded DNA. Arthritis/arthralgia was the most frequent presenting symptom (44%) followed by fever (39%). Along the disease course; alopecia was the most common clinical manifestation (76.1%), followed by constitutional symptoms (75.9%), and nephritis (65.7%). Three hundred and five patients encountered organ damage (SDI >1); kidney damage was the most frequent (32%), followed by cardiovascular damage (24.3%). Neutropenia, hypocomplementemia, arthritis, hypertension, longer disease duration, and higher disease activity were found to be independent risk factors for disease damage.

CONCLUSIONS

There are some diversities and similarities in our findings compared to the previously reported data. Arthritis is the most common presenting symptom, while alopecia is the most frequent clinical finding, and a higher prevalence of nephritis was reported. Renal damage is the most frequent outcome.

Early damage as measured by SLICC/ACR damage index is a predictor of hospitalization in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)

BACKGROUND

Hospital admissions and re-admissions in lupus patients are common occurrences that can lead to poor prognosis.

OBJECTIVES

We evaluated the leading causes of all-cause hospitalizations and their predictive factors in the Malaysian multi-ethnic SLE patients.

METHODS

This is a retrospective study involving 300 SLE patients. Demographic data and details of hospitalizations from the year 1988 until 2019 were reviewed. Baseline and latest disease activity (SLEDAI-2 K) and SLICC/ACR damage index (SDI) scores were evaluated. To be eligible for this study, their SLE diagnosis and disease duration was at least one year; this is to ensure that the baseline disease damages were measured at least after 6 months of diagnosis and subsequent disease damage indexes were captured.

RESULTS

Majority were of Chinese ethnicity 150 (50%). The cohort's median age was 48 (18-82) years and median disease duration was 13 (1-52) years. 133 (44.3%) had SDI score of ≥1 at baseline (early damage). 69 (23%) had developed new organ damage during this study period.There were 222 (74%) patients ever hospitalized from this cohort. The main cause of hospitalization was lupus flare which included concurrent infection (n = 415 admissions, 46%), followed by elective admissions for procedures and others (n = 284 admissions, 31.5%). Admissions for treatment and disease related complications were 13.8%. 8.7% of admissions were due to infections alone. Median length of stay for SLE-related cause admissions was longer compared to non-SLE related causes. Jointly predictive factors for hospitalization were anti-phospholipid syndrome (OR 5.82), anti-Smith (OR 6.30), anti-SSA (OR 3.37), serositis (OR 14.56), neurological (OR 5.52) and high baseline SDI (OR 1.74), all p < 0.05.

CONCLUSION

Early damage in lupus as measured by SDI is a predictive value of hospitalization. Optimization in managing patients with pre-existing damage is crucial to reduce hospitalization risk and subsequent complications.