Comparison of ethnicity, gender, age of onset and outcome in South Africans with systemic lupus erythematosus

Neuropsychiatric lupus in late- and early-onset systemic lupus erythematosus patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES

Late-onset SLE is usually milder and associated with lower frequency of LN and neuropsychiatric manifestations. The diagnosis of NPSLE is especially challenging in older patients because of increased incidence of neurological comorbidities. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the differences in NPSLE manifestations in early-onset (<50-year-old) vs late-onset (≥50-year-old) SLE patients.

METHODS

A literature search was performed using the PubMed, Web of Science and Cochrane Library databases. Studies available in English (1959-2022) including a late-onset SLE comparison group and evaluating the frequency of NPSLE were eligible. A forest plot was used to compare odds ratios (95% CI) of incidence and manifestations of NPSLE by age groups. Study heterogeneity was assessed using I2 statistics.

RESULTS

A total of 44 studies, including 17 865 early-onset and 2970 late-onset SLE patients, fulfilled our eligibility criteria. CNS involvement was reported in 3326 patients. Cumulative NPSLE frequency was higher in the early-onset group than in the late-onset group (OR: 1.41, 95% CI: 1.24, 1.59, P < 0.0001). In early-onset SLE patients, seizures (OR: 1.68, 95% CI: 1.27, 2.22) and psychosis (OR: 1.72, 95% CI: 1.23, 2.41) were more common than in late-onset SLE patients (P values, 0.0003 and 0.0014, respectively). Peripheral neuropathy was more commonly reported in the late-onset SLE group than in the early-onset SLE group (OR: 0.64, 95% CI: 0.47, 0.86, P = 0.004).

CONCLUSION

Our meta-analysis revealed that the frequencies of overall NPSLE, seizures, and psychosis were less common in late-onset SLE patients than in early-onset SLE patients. In contrast, peripheral neuropathy was more common in the late-onset SLE group.

Prevalence of oral mucosal lesions in patients with systemic Lupus Erythematosus: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease that can cause a range of symptoms, including oral mucosal lesions (OMLs). The prevalence of OMLs in SLE patients and their associated factors have been studied in various regions, but the results are inconsistent. This study aims to evaluate the prevalence of OMLs in patients with SLE.

METHODS

Observational studies of OML prevalence in SLE patients published before 2022 were retrieved from PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and the Cochrane Library without language restriction. The quality of the studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

RESULTS

Our meta-analysis included 113 studies with a total of 53,307 SLE patients. We found that the prevalence of OMLs in SLE patients was 31% (95% CI: 28%, 35%), with oral ulcers being present in 30% of SLE patients (95% CI: 26%, 33%). Subgroup analysis showed that the prevalence of OMLs varied significantly by region, disease activity, and sample size (p ≤ 0.01). However, gender and year of publication had little effect on the prevalence of OMLs (p = 0.78 and 0.30, respectively). Oral ulcers were significantly associated with age of onset (p = 0.02), geographic location (p < 0.01), and race (p < 0.01). We also found that the prevalence of oral erythema was 9%, oral candidiasis was 9%, petechiae was 8%, cheilitis was 6%, and white plaque was 3%.

CONCLUSIONS

Our analysis showed that the prevalence of OMLs varied significantly by region and disease activity, and child-onset patients of Indian, Malay, and Caucasian descent were more likely to have oral ulcers. The high prevalence of OML in SLE patients emphasizes the importance of regular oral examination and management in the comprehensive care of individuals with SLE.

Pattern of systemic lupus erythematosus in NIGERIA: a multicentre descriptive hospital-based study

INTRODUCTION

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease with manifestations ranging from mild to life-threatening organ dysfunction. There is wide variability in the reported incidence and prevalence rate globally, particularly in low and middle-income countries. Nigeria had very few isolated reports of SLE from private and public hospitals Therefore, we conducted this large multi-center descriptive study to determine the sociodemographic, clinical profile, laboratory patterns, and treatment among Nigerian lupus patients.

METHODS

A retrospective hospital-based study of all SLE patients seen over 4 years (January 2017 to December 2020) was conducted at 20 rheumatology clinics spread across the 6 geopolitical zones of Nigeria. All patients 18 years and above satisfying the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 1997 and/or the Systemic Lupus International Collaboration Clinics (SLICC) 2012 classification criteria for SLE were enrolled. Patients with other Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases (RMDs) not in keeping with SLE and Patients with incomplete data were excluded. Data was analysed using SPSS version 23.0 software.

RESULTS

A total of 896 patients with SLE were included in the final analysis with a mean age ± SD of 34.47 ± 11 and a female to male ratio of 8.1:1. Synovitis was reported by 61.6% of patients, while 51%, 19.9% and11.4% patients reported acute, sub-acute and chronic lupus rashes respectively. ANA was positive in 98.0% with titers ranging from 1:80 to 1:64,000.

CONCLUSION

SLE is not rare in Nigeria. Most patients were female in their 3rd to 4th decades of life. There is a delayed presentation to a rheumatology facility. Arthritis and mucocutaneous manifestations were the most frequent presentation. Key Points •This study presents the first national data on SLE in Nigeria •This study showed that SLE is not rare in Nigeria in contrast to previous reports •There appear to be ethnic disparity in the frequency of lupus among Nigerians •Nigerians with lupus have very high titer of ANA.

Comparison of clinical features, disease activity, treatment and outcomes between late-onset and early-onset patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. A sex- and year at diagnosis-matched controlled study

BACKGROUND

Several studies have compared the clinical features and outcomes of late- and early-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. However, these previous studies were uncontrolled. The current study aimed to compare late- and early-onset SLE patients while controlling for sex and year at diagnosis (± 1 year).

METHODS

The medical records of SLE patients in a lupus cohort from January 1994 to June 2020 were reviewed. Late-onset patients were identified as those with an age at diagnosis ≥ 50 years. The early-onset patients (age at diagnosis < 50 years) were matched by sex and year at diagnosis with the late-onset patients at a ratio of 2:1. Clinical manifestations, disease activity (mSLEDAI-2K), organ damage scores, treatment, and mortality were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

The study comprised 62 and 124 late- and early-onset patients, respectively, with a mean follow-up duration of 5 years. At disease onset, when comparing the early-onset patients with the late-onset patients, the latter group had a higher prevalence rate of serositis (37.0% vs. 14.5%, p < 0.001) and hemolytic anemia (50.0% vs. 33.9%, p = 0.034) but lower prevalence rate of malar rash (14.5% vs. 37.1%, p = 0.001), arthritis (41.9% vs. 62.1%, p = 0.009), leukopenia (32.3% vs. 50.0%, p = 0.022) and lymphopenia (50.0% vs. 66.1%, p = 0.034). The groups had similar SLE disease activity (7.41 vs. 7.50), but the late-onset group had higher organ damage scores (0.37 vs. 0.02, p < 0.001). The rates of treatment with corticosteroids, antimalarial drugs, or immunosuppressive drugs were not different. At their last visit, the late-onset patients still had the same pattern of clinically significant differences except for arthritis; additionally, the late-onset group had a lower rate of nephritis (53.2% vs. 74.2%, p = 0.008). They also had a lower level of disease activity (0.41 vs. 0.57, p = 0.006) and received fewer antimalarials (67.7% vs. 85.5%, p = 0.023) and immunosuppressive drugs (61.3% vs. 78.2%, p = 0.044), but they had higher organ damage scores (1.37 vs. 0.47, p < 0.001) and higher mortality rates/100-person year (3.2 vs. 1.1, p = 0.015). After adjusting for disease duration and baseline clinical variables, the late-onset patients only had lower rate of nephritis (p = 0.002), but still received fewer immunosuppressive drugs (p = 0.005) and had a higher mortality rate (p = 0.037).

CONCLUSIONS

In this sex- and year at diagnosis-matched controlled study, after adjusting for disease duration and baseline clinical variables, the late-onset SLE patients had less renal involvement and received less aggressive treatment, but had a higher mortality rate than the early-onset patients.

Antinuclear antibody-negative systemic lupus erythematosus: How many patients and how to identify?

Objectives

This study aims to the prevalence of antinuclear antibody (ANA)-negative systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and their clinical characteristics in a large single-center SLE inception cohort to provide guidance for early diagnosis.

Patients and methods

Between December 2012 and March 2021, the medical records of a total of 617 firstly diagnosed SLE patients (83 males, 534 females; median age [IQR]: 33+22.46 years) who fulfilled the selection criteria were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into groups with ANA-negative SLE and ANA-positive SLE, or with prolonged use of glucocorticoids or immunosuppressants (SLE-1) and without (SLE-0). Demographic, clinical characteristics, and laboratory features were collected.

Results

The total prevalence of ANA-negative SLE patients was 2.11% (13/617). The prevalence of ANA-negative SLE in SLE-1 (7.46%) was significantly higher than that in SLE-0 (1.48%) (p<0.01). The ANA-negative SLE patients had a higher prevalence of thrombocytopenia (84.62%) than ANA-positive SLE patients (34.27%). As with ANA-positive SLE, ANA-negative SLE also had a high prevalence of low complement (92.31%) and anti-double-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (anti-dsDNA) positivity (69.23%). The prevalence of medium-high titer anti-cardiolipin antibody (aCL) IgG (50.00%) and anti-ß2 glycoprotein I (anti-ß2GPI) (50.00%) of ANA-negative SLE was significantly higher than that of ANA-positive SLE (11.22% and 14.93%, respectively).

Conclusion

The prevalence of ANA-negative SLE is very low, but it exists, particularly under the influence of prolonged use of glucocorticoids or immunosuppressants. Thrombocytopenia, low complement, positive anti-dsDNA, and medium-high titer antiphospholipid antibody (aPL) are the main manifestations of ANA-negative SLE. It is necessary to identify complement, anti-dsDNA, and aPL in ANA-negative patients with rheumatic symptoms, particularly thrombocytopenia.

Neuropsychiatric Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in Older Adults: Diagnosis and Management

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multisystem chronic autoimmune disease with variable clinical manifestations. Neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus (NPSLE) includes the neurologic syndromes of the central, peripheral and autonomic nervous system and the psychiatric syndromes observed in patients with SLE. Neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus events may present as an initial manifestation of SLE or may be diagnosed later in the course of the disease. Older adults with NPLSE include those who are ageing with known SLE and those with late-onset SLE. The diagnosis of NPSLE across the lifespan continues to be hampered by the lack of sensitive and specific laboratory and imaging biomarkers. In this review, we discuss the particular complexity of NPSLE diagnosis and management in older adults. We first discuss the epidemiology of late-onset NPSLE, then review principles of diagnosis of NPSLE, highlighting issues that are pertinent to older adults and that make diagnosis and attribution more challenging, such as atypical disease presentation, higher medical comorbidity, and differences in neuroimaging and autoantibody investigations. We also discuss clinical issues that are of particular relevance to older adults that have a high degree of overlap with SLE, including drug-induced lupus, cerebrovascular disease and neurocognitive disorders. Finally, we review the management of NPSLE, mainly moderate to high- dose glucocorticoids and immunosuppressants, again highlighting considerations for older adults, such as increased medication (especially glucocorticoids) adverse effects, ageing-related pharmacokinetic changes that can affect SLE medication management, medication dosing and attention to medical comorbidities affecting brain health.

Global epidemiology of systemic lupus erythematosus

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease with protean manifestations that predominantly affects young women. Certain ethnic groups are more vulnerable than others to developing SLE and experience increased morbidity and mortality. Reports of the global incidence and prevalence of SLE vary widely, owing to inherent variation in population demographics, environmental exposures and socioeconomic factors. Differences in study design and case definitions also contribute to inconsistent reporting. Very little is known about the incidence of SLE in Africa and Australasia. Identifying and remediating such gaps in epidemiology is critical to understanding the global burden of SLE and improving patient outcomes. Mortality from SLE is still two to three times higher than that of the general population. Internationally, the frequent causes of death for patients with SLE include infection and cardiovascular disease. Even without new therapies, mortality can potentially be mitigated with enhanced quality of care. This Review focuses primarily on the past 5 years of global epidemiological studies and discusses the regional incidence and prevalence of SLE and top causes of mortality.

Rheumatic diseases in Africa

Historically, rheumatic diseases have not received much attention in Africa, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, possibly owing to a focus on the overwhelming incidence of infectious diseases and the decreased life span of the general population in this region. Global attention and support, together with better health policies and planning, have improved outcomes for many infectious diseases; thus, increasing attention is being turned to chronic non-communicable diseases. Rheumatic diseases were previously considered to be rare among Africans but there is now a growing interest in these conditions, particularly as the number of rheumatologists on the continent increases. This interest has resulted in a growing number of publications from Africa on the more commonly encountered rheumatic diseases, as well as case reports of rare diseases. Despite the limited amount of available data, some aspects of the epidemiology, genetics and clinical and laboratory features of rheumatic diseases in African populations are known, as is some detail on the use of therapeutics. Similarities and differences in these conditions can be seen across the multi-ethnic and genetically diverse African continent, and it is hoped that increased awareness of rheumatic diseases in Africa will lead to earlier diagnosis and better outcomes for patients.

The prevalence of rheumatic diseases is increasing in African countries, leading to an increased need for specialist rheumatologists and disease-modifying drugs. In this Review, the authors outline what is currently known about the state of rheumatic diseases in Africa.

In the past, there has been an emphasis on communicable diseases in Africa, but attention has now shifted towards non-communicable diseases such as rheumatic diseases.

Common rheumatic diseases are seen in Africa and are both comparable and different from presentations seen outside of Africa.

Diverse genetic and environmental factors affect the presentation of common rheumatic diseases among different African nations.

A shortage of appropriately trained staff, laboratory testing capacity and effective medications exists across the whole continent.

Advocacy and research are needed to increase awareness of the risk factors, presentations and management of rheumatic diseases in Africa.

Specialized treatment guidelines are needed for resource-poor countries in Africa.

Health Disparities in Rheumatic Diseases: Understanding Global Challenges in Africa, Europe, Latin America, and Asia and Proposing Strategies for Improvement

Rheumatic diseases reach across continents with some similarities as well as unique challenges. The intersection between genetic factors, environmental exposures and socioeconomic factors, as well as challenges, with delays in access to subspecialty care and medications, manifest in different ways. By understanding both the challenges and successes in different countries, while also recognizing the significant diversity both within and across continents, unified strategies to improve rheumatic disease outcomes and decrease disparities among the most vulnerable groups can be developed and disseminated.

Sudanese and Swedish patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: immunological and clinical comparisons

Objective

SLE is known to have an aggressive phenotype in black populations, but data from African cohorts are largely lacking. We therefore compared immunological and clinical profiles between Sudanese and Swedish patients using similar tools.

Methods

Consecutive SLE patients from Sudan (n = 115) and Sweden (n = 340) and from 106 Sudanese and 318 Swedish age- and sex-matched controls were included. All patients fulfilled the 1982 ACR classification criteria for SLE. Ten ANA-associated specificities and C1q-binding immune complexes (CICs) were measured. Cut-offs were established based on Sudanese and Swedish controls, respectively. Disease activity was measured with a modified SLEDAI and organ damage with the SLICC Damage Index. In a nested case–control design, Swedish and Sudanese patients were matched for age and disease duration.

Results

Females constituted 95.6% and 88.1% of Sudanese and Swedish patients, respectively (P = 0.02), with younger age at inclusion (33 vs 47.7 years; P < 0.0001) and shorter disease duration (5 vs 14 years; P < 0.0001) among Sudanese patients. Anti-Sm antibodies were more frequent in Sudanese patients, whereas anti-dsDNA, anti-histone and CICs were higher in Swedish patients. In the matched analyses, there was a trend for higher SLEDAI among Swedes. However, Sudanese patients had more damage, solely attributed to high frequencies of cranial/peripheral neuropathy and diabetes.

Conclusion

While anti-Sm is more common in Sudan than in Sweden, the opposite is found for anti-dsDNA. Sudanese patients had higher damage scores, mainly because of neuropathy and diabetes. Sudanese patients were younger, with a shorter SLE duration, possibly indicating a more severe disease course with impact on survival rates.

Epidemiological data on systemic lupus erythematosus in native sub-Saharan Africans

Multiethnic studies conducted outside sub-Saharan Africa identify African Black people as the highest-risk group for morbidity and mortality among the 5,000,000 people who are affected by lupus globally. In the meantime, there have bee few attempts to summarize lupus data from sub-Saharan africa. We therefore conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis addressing systemic lupus erythematosus in Native sub-Saharan Africans. This paper both serves as repository for and describes the data obtained by qualitative and quantitative synthesis, notably the pooled prevalence of autoantibodies, the pooled frequency of cumulative drug use, the prevalence of comorbidities/complications and the mortality rate in Native sub-Saharan Africans with systemic lupus erythematosus. These data are interpreted in the research article titled “Systemic lupus erythematosus in Native sub-Saharan Africans: a systematic review and meta-analysis” (Essouma et al., 2019) [1].

Clinical characteristics and survival of 413 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus in southeastern areas of South Korea: A multicenter retrospective cohort study

AIMS

To investigate demographic, clinical, laboratory, and immunological characteristics of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in southeastern areas of South Korea, and to perform survival analysis.

METHODS

We retrospectively evaluated 413 patients with SLE diagnosed in 3 tertiary rheumatology centers in South Korea from 1992 to 2016 by reviewing their medical charts. All patients fulfilled the 1997 revised American College of Rheumatology classification criteria for SLE.

RESULTS

Most patients were women (92%), and the mean (±standard deviation) age at diagnosis was 30.9 (±12.9) years. The most common clinical manifestation was leukopenia (74.3%), followed by lymphopenia (73.6%), arthritis (59.1%), malar rash (48.4%), thrombocytopenia (46.5%), oral ulcer (35.1%), and biopsy-proven lupus nephritis (31.2%). Anti-nuclear, anti-double-stranded DNA, anti-Smith, and anti-Ro antibodies were positive in 97.8%, 70.1%, 38.4%, and 63% of patients, respectively. Twenty (4.8%) patients died during a median follow-up of 83 months, and the cumulative 5-year and 10-year survival rates were 96.9% and 95.5%, respectively. The major causes of death were infection (50%) and lupus flare-up (50%). Male (hazards ratio [HR] = 7.19, P = .001), pleuritis and/or pericarditis (HR = 3.28, P = .012), childhood-onset (HR = 3.57, P = .012), and late-onset (HR = 4.65, P = .011) were independent risk factors for death. Compared with SLE cohorts in other ethnicities or countries, our patients tended to have a higher frequency of anti-Ro antibodies and hematologic disorders.

CONCLUSION

This study describes clinical features of SLE in South Korea and suggests a remarkable phenotypic heterogeneity of SLE.

Systemic lupus erythematosus in Native sub-Saharan Africans: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The prevalence and phenotype of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have not been thoroughly investigated in Native sub-Saharan Africans despite knowledge that the highest burden of SLE occurs in people with an African trait. Through this systematic review of literature and meta-analysis, we wished to fill this gap.

METHODS

PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, African Journals Online, and Global Index Medicus as well as references of retrieved papers were searched to select studies addressing SLE in Native sub-Saharan Africans and published between January 1, 2008 and October 7, 2018. The prevalence of SLE and its characteristics were pooled through narrative review and random-effects model. Heterogeneity (I²) was assessed via the χ² test. Pooled estimates are expressed with 95% confidence intervals. This study is registered with PROSPERO: registration number CRD42019139226.

RESULTS

Out of 1502 papers, 15 hospital-based studies were included. The pooled prevalence of SLE among 28,575 participants was 1.7% (0.8-2.9), with substantial heterogeneity between studies (I² = 96.9% [94.8%; 98.1%], τ2 = 0.0020, p < 0.0001). The mean age at diagnosis ranged from 28.8 to 39.2 years. The female proportion varied from 88% to 100%. Rheumatological (5.1%-99.9%), dermatological (4.3%-100%) and hematological (1.4-86.9%) manifestations were the commonest clinical features of SLE. Patients had a high seroprevalence for anti-ribonucleoprotein 57.9% (36.4-77.9), anti-Smith 53.5% (40.4-66.2), anti-Sjogren syndrome antigen A 45.6% (19.2-73.4) and anti-Sjogren syndrome antigen B 33.7% (13.6-57.6) autoantibodies. The most used treatments were corticosteroids 99% (94.9-100) and antimalarials 62. 8% (23.3-94.1). The pooled mortality rate was 10.3% (3.3-20.6) and death was mainly due to infections, kidney disease and neurological involvement.

CONCLUSION

Over the last 30 years, SLE was not rare among Native sub-Saharan Africans and its featured characteristics were earlier onset, female predominance, and high seropositivity for extractable nuclear antigen autoantibodies. Corticosteroids and antimalarials were the standard treatments. The mortality rate was high. Population prevalence and incidence as well as full description of SLE characteristics in Native sub-Saharan Africans are needed.

Anti-Smith antibody is associated with disease activity in patients with new-onset systemic lupus erythematosus

Although anti-Smith (Sm) antibody is a highly specific antibody for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the significance of anti-Sm antibody in patients with SLE is unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the association between anti-Sm antibodies and disease activity in patients with new-onset SLE. We included patients who were tested for anti-Sm antibodies at SLE diagnosis and within 12 months after diagnosis. SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI) was obtained at the time of the anti-Sm antibody test. The baseline disease activity was compared between patients with and without anti-Sm antibodies. The longitudinal association between disease activity and anti-Sm antibodies was also evaluated in total patients and in those with anti-Sm antibodies. Among 92 patients who were tested for anti-Sm antibodies at SLE diagnosis, 67 and another 67 patients were followed up for the presence of anti-Sm antibodies at 6 and 12 months, respectively. Although the baseline SLEDAI was comparable in patients with and without anti-Sm antibodies, the serum level of anti-Sm antibody was significantly correlated with SLEDAI (P = 0.003). At 12 months, anti-Sm antibody positivity was associated with higher SLEDAI and anti-dsDNA titer (P = 0.002, both). In addition, the changes in anti-Sm antibody titer over 12 months were correlated with the alterations in SLEDAI (P = 0.029).Anti-Sm antibody was associated with the baseline disease activity and the alteration of disease activity in patients with new-onset SLE. Monitoring of anti-Sm antibody titer may help assess the disease activity in SLE.

Spectrum of cutaneous lupus erythematosus in South Africans with systemic lupus erythematosus

BACKGROUND

Cutaneous involvement is very common in systemic lupus erythematosus. We describe the prevalence and spectrum of lupus-specific (cutaneous lupus erythematosus) and non-specific cutaneous features amongst mostly black South Africans with systemic lupus erythematosus.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A retrospective record review of 298 South Africans (262 blacks and 36 non-blacks) with systemic lupus erythematosus was carried out. Cutaneous features were classified according to the Gilliam and Sontheimer classification of cutaneous lupus.

RESULTS

Most (81.5%) patients were black African females. The mean (SD) age at diagnosis and follow-up duration were 35.0 (11.8) and 8.0 (5.9) years, respectively. Cutaneous lupus erythematosus was seen in 76.1% of patients, mainly chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus with the discoid lupus erythematosus subtype seen in 52.1% of patients. Acute cutaneous lupus erythematosus was seen in 30.2% of patients and was more common in non-blacks than blacks (odds ratio = 3.8 (1.9-7.9)); localized acute cutaneous lupus erythematosus was more common than generalized acute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (odds ratio = 2.6 (1.6-4.4)). Non-specific cutaneous features occurred in 77.2%, with oral/nasal ulcers and Raynaud's phenomenon each occurring in approximately 40% of patients. Diffuse melanonychia at initial diagnosis was present in 37.4% of patients and was more common in blacks than non-blacks (odds ratio = 3.1 (1.3-7.3)). Acute cutaneous lupus erythematosus was associated with renal disease (odds ratio = 2.8 (1.6-4.7)) and chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus with arthritis (odds ratio = 2.02 (1.24-3.29)). Diffuse melanonychia was associated with less renal disease and anti-dsDNA antibody positivity (odds ratio = 0.4 (0.3-0.7) and 0.4 (0.2-0.6), respectively) and significantly lower lupus severity index scores (mean (SD) = 5.99 (1.11) vs 6.56 (1.36) in patients with no melanonychia, p < 0.05)).

CONCLUSION

In this study of South Africans with systemic lupus erythematosus, the skin was the most commonly affected organ. In general, cutaneous lupus erythematosus was associated with less severe systemic disease. Acute cutaneous lupus erythematosus was less common in blacks, whereas discoid lupus erythematosus was more common than reported in Caucasians. Diffuse melanonychia was a distinctive finding and was associated with milder systemic disease.

Evidence of a distinct group of Black African patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

Background

The autoimmune disease systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) occurs more frequently in patients of African descent with high morbidity and mortality. Current SLE diagnostic criteria including antinuclear antibody (ANA) reactivity are derived largely from non-African populations. This study characterises ANA reactivity patterns and relates them to SLE clinical presentation in Black African patients.

Methods

Sera from Black participants (61 patients with SLE and 100 controls) aged 1-81 years were analysed for reactivity against the antigens: uridine 1-ribonuclear protein, Smith uridine-1-5 ribonuclear protein antigen, soluble substance-A, recombinant Ro-52, soluble substance-B, Scl-70, cytoplasmic histidyl-tRNA synthetase antigen, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), nucleosomes, ribonuclear P-protein, antimitochondrial antibody M2 (AMA-M2), histones, double-stranded DNA (dsDNA), centromere protein B and polymyositis-sclerosis overlap antigen.

Findings

A significantly higher proportion (97%) of the 61 patients with SLE had detectable autoantibody reactivity compared with 15% of the 100 controls (p<0.001). The highest frequencies of autoantibody reactivity in patients with SLE were against the dsDNA antigen (41%) and PCNA (54%). Anti-PCNA and anti-dsDNA reactivity were mutually exclusive (p<0.001) giving rise to two distinct groups of Black African patients with SLE. The first group (n=25) had reactivity profiles consistent with international standard SLE definitions, including anti-dsDNA reactivity, and was 13 times more likely to present with joint symptoms. The larger, second group (n=34), characterised by anti-PCNA and anti-AMA-M2 reactivity, was nine times more likely to present with only cutaneous symptoms.

Interpretation

Our study demonstrates a need to extend autoantibody panels to include anti-PCNA in the diagnostic process of Black African patients and further refine the predictive values of the reactivity to different antigens to differentiate SLE syndromes in African populations.

[Epidemiology of systemic lupus erythematosus in Reunion Island, Indian Ocean: A case-series in adult patients from a University Hospital]

OBJECTIVES

The study aimed at assessing the epidemiology and clinical features of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in Reunion Island, South West of Indian Ocean.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A retrospective study was conducted at the University Hospital of La Reunion (Saint-Denis) by charts review from 2004 to 2015. Patients with a SLE diagnosed over 15 years according to SLICC 2012 criteria were included. Incidence and prevalence were inferred from national health insurance database and population census results.

RESULTS

In total, 123 patients met inclusion criteria: 116 were women (94%) and mean age at diagnosis was 34.7±13.4 years. Ten percent of all patients had a least one parent with autoimmune disease, and 4% with lupus. The main manifestations were musculoskeletal (89%) and mucocutaneous with acute or subacute lesions (76%), alopecia (25%), ulcers (15%) and discoid lupus (11%). Lupus nephropathy occurred in 39%, serositis in 31% and neurological features in 15%. Antinuclear antibodies were positive in 99% (threshold >1/80), and associated to anti-DNA (70%), anti-SSA (47%), anti-RNP (42%), and anti-Sm (37%). APL syndrome was diagnosed in 15%. The average annual standardized incidence between 2010 and 2016 was 6.3 cases per 100,000 inhabitants (95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.6-6.9). The prevalence was 76 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in 2016 (95% CI: 70-82).

CONCLUSION

Lupus in the multi-ethnic population of Reunion Island is characterized by high incidence and high rates of articular and renal manifestations, as well as anti-ENA antibodies.

Differences in clinical features observed between childhood-onset versus adult-onset systemic lupus erythematosus: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) affects people in childhood (childhood onset) or in adulthood (adult onset). Observational studies that have previously compared childhood-onset versus adult-onset SLE were often restricted to 1 ethnic group, or to a particular area, with a small sample size of patients. We aimed to systematically compare childhood-onset versus adult-onset SLE through a meta-analysis.

METHODS

Electronic databases were searched for relevant publications comparing childhood-onset with adult-onset SLE. Adverse clinical features were considered as the endpoints. The Newcastle Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to assess the methodological quality of the studies and RevMan software (version 5.3) was used to carry out this analysis whereby risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were used as the statistical parameters.

RESULTS

A total number of 10,261 participants (1560 participants with childhood-onset SLE and 8701 participants with adult-onset SLE) were enrolled. Results of this analysis showed that compared with childhood-onset SLE, pulmonary involvement was significantly higher with adult-onset SLE (RR: 1.51, 95% CI: 1.18-1.93; P = .001), whereas renal involvement was significantly higher with childhood-onset SLE (RR: 0.65, 95% CI: 0.55-0.77; P = .00001). Raynaud phenomenon and photosensitivity were significantly higher in adult-onset SLE (RR: 1.29, 95% CI: 1.04-1.60; P = .02) and (RR: 1.08, 95% CI: 1.01-1.17; P = .03), respectively. Malar rash significantly favored adult-onset SLE (RR: 0.84, 95% CI: 0.75-0.94; P = .002). Childhood-onset SLE was associated with significantly higher hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, leukocytopenia, and lymphopenia. Seizure and ocular manifestations were significantly higher with childhood-onset SLE (RR: 0.57, 95% CI: 0.47-0.70; P = .00001) and (RR: 0.34, 95% CI: 0.21-0.55; P = .00001), respectively, whereas pleuritis was significantly higher with adult-onset SLE (RR: 1.45, 95% CI: 1.17-1.79; P = .0008). Vasculitis and fever were significantly higher with childhood-onset SLE (RR: 0.51, 95% CI: 0.36-0.74; P = .0004) and (RR: 0.78, 95% CI: 0.68-0.89; P = .0002) respectively.

CONCLUSION

Significant differences were observed between childhood-onset versus adult-onset SLE, showing the former to be more aggressive.