Fatigue in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and neuropsychiatric symptoms is associated with anxiety and depression rather than inflammatory disease activity

Addition of constitutional symptoms to the SLEDAI-2K improves overall disease activity assessment: A pilot study

OBJECTIVE

Constitutional symptoms (fatigue, lymphadenopathy, and weight loss) are not included in the SLE disease activity index-2000 (SLEDAI-2K). In this pilot study, we assessed the concurrent and construct validity of a revised SLEDAI-2K (SLED-R) that included these symptoms with the original SLEDAI-2K (SLED-O), using the physician global assessment of disease activity (PGA) as the reference.

METHODS

Our revised SLED-R substituted the SLED-O's fever descriptor with a constitutional descriptor that included fever, fatigue, lymphadenopathy, and/or weight loss. SLED-O, SLED-R, PGA and patient global assessment (PtGA) scores were collected prospectively. Bland-Altman correlations for repeated measures were calculated and Meng's z-test was used to compare correlations between dependent and overlapping correlation coefficients. Associations between constitutional symptoms and disease activity measures were analyzed using Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, Chi-square tests and repeated measures correlations.

RESULTS

1123 SLED-O, SLED-R, PGA, and 1066 PtGA were collected in 239 subjects. The new descriptor was scored in 45 subjects (18.8%) and 92 instances (8.1%), while the original descriptor, fever, was scored in only 4 subjects (1.7%) and 5 instances (0.4%). Mean SLED-O, PGA and PtGA scores were higher when the constitutional descriptor was scored versus not (p < .001). The correlation between SLED-R and PGA was marginally higher than between SLED-O and PGA (p < .001). Fatigue contributed most to this increase (p = .001) and associated with both higher PGA and PtGA scores (p < .001). Mean SLED-O and PGA scores were higher when ≥1 constitutional symptom(s) were scored versus not (p < .002). Correlations between PGA and PtGA when the new descriptor was scored versus not were similar (p = .860). The frequency of concordance between PGA and PtGA was lower when the new descriptor was scored (55%) versus not (72.5%), with PGA > PtGA when the new descriptor was scored (p < .001).

CONCLUSION

The addition of constitutional symptoms to SLEDAI-2K, particularly fatigue, resulted in a marginal increase in its correlation with PGA, and new constitutional symptoms associated with higher SLED-O and PGA scores. As fatigue is subjective and difficult to attribute to SLE, its validity and inter-rater reliability in scoring remains uncertain. The clinical utility of SLED-R remains unclear, and further studies of its validity and reliability are needed.

Analysis of status and influencing factors of mental health in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

BACKGROUND

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a heterogeneous autoimmune disorder with varied clinical courses and prognoses, not only did the patients suffer from physical impairment, but also various physical and psychiatric comorbidities. Growing evidence have suggested that mental disorders in SLE patients, can lead to various adverse consequences.

AIM

To explored the features and influencing factors of mental health in patients with SLE and clarifying the correlations between mental health and personality characteristics and perceived social support. The results would provide a basis for psychological intervention in patients with SLE.

METHODS

The clinical data of 168 patients with SLE admitted at the First Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University between June 2020 and June 2022 were collected. Psychological assessment and correlation analysis were conducted using the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) and Perceived Social Support Scale, and the collected data were compared with the national norms in China. The relevant factors influencing mental health were identified by statistical analysis. A general information questionnaire, the Revised Life Orientation Test, and Short-Form 36-Item Health Survey were employed to assess optimism level and quality of life (QoL), respectively.

RESULTS

Patients with SLE obtained higher scores for the somatization, depression, anxiety, and phobic anxiety subscales than national norms (P < 0.05). A correlation was identified between total social support and total SCL-90 score or each subscale (P < 0.05). The factors significantly affecting patients’ mental health were hormone dosage and disease activity index (DAI) (P < 0.05). The average optimism score of patients with SLE was 14.36 ± 4.42, and 30 cases were in the middle and lower levels. A positive correlation was found between optimism level and QoL scores.

CONCLUSION

Patients with SLE develop psychological disorders at varying degrees, which are significantly influenced by hormone dosage and DAI. Patients’ mental health should be closely monitored during clinical diagnosis and treatment and provided adequate support in establishing positive, healthy thinking and behavior patterns and improving their optimism level and QoL.

A case-control study on health-related quality of life of systemic lupus erythematosus patients

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic rheumatic autoimmune condition that can cause a wide range of symptoms and problems that may affect the health-related quality of life. The main objective of the study was to assess the SLE burden by exploring the effect of the disease on health-related quality of life. The study consisted of 29 female SLE patients and 27 healthy female controls; they were matched for age and parity. A 36-item Short Form health survey questionnaire (SF-36) was used to collect data from participants through face-to-face interviews and to assess their health-related quality of life. SF-36 summary scores for the physical and mental components were decreased in the studied patients compared with controls; PCS was 28.81 ± 16.63, 77.25 ± 15.75 for cases and controls, respectively; and MCS was 32.75 ± 18.69, and 78.75 ± 10.63 for cases and controls, respectively (p < 0.05). The high correlation between the two dimensions characterizes this decrease. SLE negatively affected the quality of life of the patients. Measures such as lifestyle modifications, physical activity, and a healthy diet should be taken to improve the health-related quality of life in SLE patients. In addition, raising the patient's awareness about the disease and its consequences could help to cope with the illness and engage in social and physical activities.

Undiagnosed Depression and Its Effects on Patients With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Introduction Different organs and organ systems are affected by a well-known chronic immune disorder called systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Besides the physical harm caused by this disorder, it affects the mental health of patients in a greater ratio by causing depression and anxiety. The objective of this study is to assess the prevalence of undiagnosed depression and its effects on patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Material and methods This prospective cross-sectional study was carried out in the Rheumatology outpatient department of Fatima Memorial Hospital (FMH), Lahore, from November 2022 to February 2023. All study subjects had been given a prior diagnosis of SLE based on the 2012 Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) criteria. Three sections comprised the survey form: section I asked questions about socio-demographic information (gender and age); section II assessed the degree of mental illness activity; and section III assessed the degree of SLE disease activity. The nine-item PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire 9) scale, which is used to diagnose severe depressive disorder, was utilized to measure depression. To compare categorical variables, we applied Fisher's exact tests and chi-square; for continuous variables, we utilized the student's t-test. The statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS software for Windows Version 21.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA), with a significance threshold of p-value <0.05. Results Mild, moderate, and severe depression were present in 20%, 37.5%, and 37.5% of the patients, respectively. Pearson correlation of disease severity was strongly positive with depression (R2=0.634, p=0.01). The correlation was statistically significant. Conclusion Our research indicates that depression is a real problem for SLE patients. There is a positive correlation between the activity of the disease and the intensity of depression.

Less, but not gone-gluten-free diet effects on fatigue in celiac disease: a prospective controlled study

Introduction

Fatigue is a frequent complaint in patients with celiac disease. A gluten-free diet is the only established treatment for celiac disease, but how this diet influences fatigue is uncertain. We aimed to investigate fatigue prevalence, severity, and associated factors in patients with celiac disease, at diagnosis and at 1 year after commencing a gluten-free diet.

Methods

78 patients with serologically and histologically verified celiac disease, 78 age- and sex-matched healthy subjects. Primary endpoints were Fatigue Visual Analog Scale (fVAS), Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), and inverted Vitality subscale of the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36vs). Clinically relevant fatigue was defined as: FSS score ≥ 4, fVAS score ≥ 50 mm, or inverted SF-36vs score ≥ 65. Higher scores represented more fatigue.

Results

Fatigue was reduced after a 12-month gluten-free diet. Median scores changed from 3.8 (interquartile range [IQR]: 2.2 to 4.8) to 1.9 (IQR: 1.4 to 3.5) for FSS, from 44.5 (IQR: 18.8 to 66.0) to 15.5 (IQR: 7.8 to 43.3) for fVAS, and from 65 (IQR: 40 to 75) to 35 (IQR: 25 to 55) for inverted SF-36vs (p < 0.001 for all). Fatigue prevalence also declined after treatment. However, scores were significantly higher in patients compared to control subjects. Higher fatigue scores were associated with depression and pain, but not with signs of disease activity or nutritional deficiency.

Conclusion

At diagnosis, patients with celiac disease frequently had severe fatigue. Fatigue declined after a gluten-free diet, but it remained higher than that observed in healthy subjects.

Clinical trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov, Identifier NCT01551563.

Beyond the symptom: the biology of fatigue

A workshop titled "Beyond the Symptom: The Biology of Fatigue" was held virtually September 27-28, 2021. It was jointly organized by the Sleep Research Society and the Neurobiology of Fatigue Working Group of the NIH Blueprint Neuroscience Research Program. For access to the presentations and video recordings, see: https://neuroscienceblueprint.nih.gov/about/event/beyond-symptom-biology-fatigue. The goals of this workshop were to bring together clinicians and scientists who use a variety of research approaches to understand fatigue in multiple conditions and to identify key gaps in our understanding of the biology of fatigue. This workshop summary distills key issues discussed in this workshop and provides a list of promising directions for future research on this topic. We do not attempt to provide a comprehensive review of the state of our understanding of fatigue, nor to provide a comprehensive reprise of the many excellent presentations. Rather, our goal is to highlight key advances and to focus on questions and future approaches to answering them.

Anti-fatigue Effect of Traditional Chinese Medicines: A Review

A third of the world's population suffers from unexplained fatigue, hugely impacting work learning, efficiency, and health. The fatigue development may be a concomitant state of a disease or the side effect of a drug, or muscle fatigue induced by intense exercise. However, there are no authoritative guides or clinical medication recommendations for various fatigue classifications. Traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) are used as dietary supplements or healthcare products with specific anti-fatigue effects. Thus, TCM may be a potential treatment for fatigue. In this review, we outline the pathogenesis of fatigue, awareness of fatigue in Chinese and western medicine, pharmacodynamics mechanism, and substances. Additionally, we offer a comprehensive summary of fatigue and forecast the potential effect of novel herbal-based medicines against fatigue.

Post-traumatic stress disorder in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus heavily affects quality of life. A cross-sectional web survey-based study

OBJECTIVES

Neuropsychiatric symptoms develop in up to 20% of the patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). Growing evidence is accruing on the association of SLE with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), but little is known about its contribution on patient-reported outcomes. This study focuses on PTSD prevalence in our SLE cohort and on its impact on quality of life.

METHODS

Trauma and Loss Spectrum - Self Reported (TALS-SR) and Lupus Quality of Life (Lupus QoL) questionnaires were administered via web to the patients with SLE in our cohort, along with questions on demographical and disease-related aspects.

RESULTS

Among 99 patients who completed the questionnaire, fatigue prevalence was 75% and 31% scored TALS-SR test consistently with PTSD. Patients with PTSD achieved lower scores compared to those without PTSD in three Lupus QoL domains: planning (83.3 vs. 100, p = .035), body image (85.0 vs. 95.0, p = .031) and fatigue (66.7 vs. 91.7, p = .001). An inverse correlation was found between TALS-SR domains and Lupus QoL scores, particularly regarding fatigue with reaction to losses or upsetting events (ρ -0.458, p < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

PTSD is possibly far more frequent in patients with SLE than in general population and exerts a detrimental influence on quality of life.

Psychological Implications to the Therapy of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic and multi-systemic autoimmune disease, which has a deleterious impact on patients' psychological well-being. This paper aims to review the existing literature on empirical research on psychological outcomes of SLE and psychological interventions to improve well-being in SLE patients. A search of significant English language articles was conducted in PubMed, Medline, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and ResearchGate databases. Titles and abstracts were screened for the relevant terms, including "systemic lupus erythematosus", "childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus", "juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus", "lupus nephritis", and their respective synonyms along with "depression", "anxiety", "fatigue", "medical adherence", "health-related quality of life", "self-management" or "intervention". The articles were evaluated by independent reviewers and the lists of eligible publications were compared whilst disagreements were settled by discussion. Of the 59 publications sought for retrieval, 35 papers were shortlisted based on predefined inclusion/exclusion criteria. They were classified according to their content and the methodology applied. Research topics including "anxiety and depression in SLE" and "self-management interventions for SLE patients" were identified and are presented in this review. As the prognosis and life expectancy of SLE patients are improving, further research on the psychological outcomes of SLE and the evidence-based psychological interventions to improve patients' well-being are justified.

Gut microbiome and fecal metabolic alteration in systemic lupus erythematosus patients with depression

Background

Mental health disorders in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are gradually getting recognized; however, less is known regarding the actual structure and compositional alterations in gut microbiome and metabolism and the mechanisms of how they affect depression development in SLE patients.

Methods

Twenty-one SLE patients with depression (SLE-d), 17 SLE patients without depression (SLE-nd), and 32 healthy controls (HC) were included in this study. Fecal samples were collected for 16S rRNA gene sequencing and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-MS) based metabolomics.

Results

The structure of gut microbiome in the SLE-d group changed compared with that in the other two groups. The microbiome composition of SLE-d group showed decreased species richness indices, characterized by low ACE and Chao1 indices, a decrease in the ratio of phylum Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes, genus Faecalibacterium and Roseburia. A downregulation of the metabolite fexofenadine involved in bile secretion was positively correlated with the genus Faecalibacterium, Subdoligranulum and Agathobacter. Compared with the SLE-nd group, the SLE-d group had elevated serum levels of IL-2 and IL-6 and decreased BDNF. Interestingly, abundance of the genus Faecalibacterium and Roseburia was negatively correlated with IL-6, abundance of the genus Roseburia was negatively correlated with IL-2, and abundance of the genus Bacteroides was positively correlated with IL-2.

Conclusion

This study identified specific fecal microbes and their metabolites that may participate in the development of SLE-d. Our findings provide a new perspective for improving depression in SLE patients by regulating the gut-brain axis.

A cross-sectional study on the association of anxiety and depression with the disease activity of systemic lupus erythematosus

BACKGROUND

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease that affects multiple systems and increases the risk of mental disorders such as depression and anxiety. We conducted an observational, single-center, cross-sectional study to investigate the relationship between depression, anxiety, and SLE disease activity.

METHODS

The Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9) was used to assess depression, and the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorders Scale was used to assess anxiety (GAD-7). Using the chi-square/exact Fisher's tests, socio-demographic data, clinical and other characteristics of SLE patients were compared between depression or anxiety and non-depression/non-anxiety groups. To identify optimal levels of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) for predicting depression or anxiety, receiver-operator curves (ROC) were drawn.

RESULTS

Among the 325 patients involved in this study, patients with depression or anxiety had significantly higher SLE activity (p < 0.001), and more frequent musculoskeletal (p < 0.05) and neuropsychiatric symptoms (p < 0.05). Depression and anxiety are more common in the moderate-severe active group than in the inactive-mild active group (depression: OR 3.350, 95%CI 2.015, 5.570, p < 0.001; anxiety: OR 4.085, 95%CI 2.493, 6.692, p < 0.001). The optimal SLEDAI cutoff value of 8.5 predicted depression with a sensitivity of 50.5% and a specificity of 78.4% (AUC 0.660, p < 0.001) and anxiety with a sensitivity of 54.2% and a specificity of 78.4% (AUC 0.684, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

SLE disease activity is positively associated with the severity of depression and anxiety. Those patients whose SLEDAI scores are greater than 8.5 are more likely to suffer from mental disorders which require additional attention to them.

Depression in systemic lupus erythematosus: Modifiable or inheritable? a two-sample mendelian randomization study

Observational studies have found increased incidence of depression, the leading cause of disability worldwide, in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, it is not clear whether the association was genetically inheritable or caused by modifiable risk factors, such as socioeconomic factors. We investigated the causal relationship between genetically predicted SLE and depression by two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with SLE were selected as instrumental variables (IVs) from a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of 14,267 European-ancestry participants. A large GWAS of depression (180,866 European-ancestry participants) and another GWAS of major depressive disorder (MDD) (173,005 European-ancestry participants) were selected as outcomes. Then we estimated the effects of IVs on the odds of depression or MDD by using the inverse-variance weighted (IVW) meta-analysis method (random-effects), which had a power of 90% to detect 4% increase of depression in SLE. Interestingly, genetically predicted SLE decreased the odds of depression [odds ratio (OR): 0.995; 95% CI: 0.990–0.999; p = 0.025] and MDD [odds ratio (OR): 0.985; 95% CI: 0.975–0.996; p = 0.009], indicating increased depression in SLE was not due to inheritable risk factors.

The association of psychosocial stressors and psychiatric disorders with fatigue in systemic lupus erythematosus patients

BACKGROUND

In systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), fatigue is the most common and aggravating symptom which has been reported to be influenced by several factors, such as disease activity, psychosocial stressors, and psychiatric disorders. Therefore, this study aims to determine the association between disease activity, psychosocial stressors, and psychiatric disorders with fatigue in SLE patients.

METHOD

In this cross-sectional study, 73 female SLE patients were accepted to participate by filling out the informed consent. Besides, disease activity was divided into Lupus Low Disease Activity State (LLDAS) and non-LLDAS. The Holmes-Rahe Stress Scale and Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) were employed to assess psychosocial stress and fatigue severity. The Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) ICD-10 was used to examine psychiatric disorders. The Chi-square test was conducted to determine the association between dependent variables (fatigue) and independent variables (psychosocial stress, psychosocial stress severity, and psychiatric disorders).

RESULT

Out of the participants, 49 (67.1%) suffered from fatigue, and the LLDAS group contained fewer individuals than non-LLDAS, 46.6% versus 53.4%. The majority (86.3%) also experienced psychosocial stress, ranging from mild to severe, and 56 (76.7%) patients had psychiatric disorders. No significant association was discovered between SLE disease activity and fatigue. However, fatigue had significant associations with psychiatric disorders in both LLDAS (p = 0.02) and non-LLDAS groups (p = 0.04), as well as with psychosocial stress severity (p = 0.02). Histories of major personal illness (p = 0.01) and changes in eating habits (p = 0.02) were associated with fatigue among the LLDAS participants.

CONCLUSION

Psychosocial stressors and psychiatric disorders were significantly associated with fatigue in SLE. Histories of major personal disease and changes in eating habits were also significantly associated with fatigue in the LLDAS participants. Therefore, early recognition of these factors is necessary to manage and prevent fatigue in SLE patients.

Persistence of Depression and Anxiety despite Short-Term Disease Activity Improvement in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Single-Centre, Prospective Study

Mental disorders such as anxiety and depression are prevalent in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients, yet their association with the underlying disease activity remains uncertain and has been mostly evaluated at a cross-sectional level. To examine longitudinal trends in anxiety, depression, and lupus activity, a prospective observational study was performed on 40 adult SLE outpatients with active disease (SLE Disease Activity Index [SLEDAI]-2K ≥ 3 [excluding serology]) who received standard-of-care. Anxiety and depression were determined at baseline and 6 months by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Treatment adherence was assessed with the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale-4. Increased anxiety (median [interquartile range] HADS-A: 11.0 [7.8]) and depression (HADS-D: 8.0 [4.8]) were found at inclusion, which remained stable and non-improving during follow-up (difference: 0.0 [4.8] and −0.5 [4.0], respectively) despite reduced SLEDAI-2K by 2.0 (4.0) (p < 0.001). Among possible baseline predictors, paid employment—but not disease activity—correlated with reduced HADS-A and HADS-D with corresponding standardized beta-coefficients of −0.35 (p = 0.017) and −0.27 (p = 0.093). Higher anxiety and depression correlated with lower treatment adherence (p = 0.041 and p = 0.088, respectively). These results indicate a high-mental disease burden in active SLE that persists despite disease control and emphasize the need to consider socioeconomic factors as part of comprehensive patient assessment.

Relation Among Anxiety, Depression, Sleep Quality and Health-Related Quality of Life Among Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Path Analysis

Purpose

This study aimed to examine the relationship between anxiety, depression, sleep quality and health-related quality of life among systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients in China.

Patients and Methods

After ethical approval and obtaining participants' informed consent, a cross-sectional study was conducted in The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University between October 1, 2021 and January 30, 2022. The data comprised demographic information, number of SLE symptoms, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire (SLEQoL). We performed descriptive statistics, Spearman or Pearson correlations, and multiple linear regression. And Path analysis was performed to examine direct and indirect associations between these variables and health-related quality of life.

Results

A total of 580 patients were recruited and 513 met our target criteria. Our final model fitted the data well: goodness-of-fit index (GFI) =0.996; adjusted goodness-of-fit index (AGFI) =0.974; comparative fit index (CFI) =0.998; root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) =0.043. This model explained 57.3% of the variance on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with SLE and all the hypothesized paths reached significance (P<0.05). Anxiety, depression, sleep quality, income/family, and number of SLE symptoms were related to health-related quality of life, and anxiety had the most influence on HRQoL (β=0.561).

Conclusion

The study model helps to explain the relation among anxiety, depression, sleep quality and health-related quality of life in patients with SLE. It also suggests that health care professionals should be aware of factors such as anxiety, sleep quality, number of SLE symptoms, and depression in their care for HRQoL of SLE patients.

Beyond Neuropsychiatric Manifestations of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Focus on Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Alexithymia

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To deepen the comprehension of the role of specific psychological conditions in the pathogenesis and in the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Specifically, the present comprehensive review aims at examining the association between SLE, alexithymia (AT)-a personality construct referring to the inability to identify, describe, and express sensations, emotions, and physical state-and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), to infer potential biological relationships between these psychopathological issues and disease course, and to draw up a research agenda on gray areas of these topics.

RECENT FINDINGS

Whereas several studies document the presence of neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients with SLE, psychological distress, alexithymia, and post-traumatic manifestations are usually neglected by healthcare professionals and poorly investigated in research contexts. However, the interplay of these aspects, which affect physiologic stress coping mechanisms, potentially plays an important role in SLE pathogenesis. In particular, research documents that cytokine repertoire pattern alteration and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis impairment leading to inflammation and pain represent the main links between emotional health and immunity. AT and PTSD seem to be common in patients with SLE and account for multiple aspects of SLE-related morbidity. Furthermore, abnormal processing of stressful stimuli as hallmarks of PTSD and AT might promote neuroendocrine dysfunction and dysregulated immunity, thus contributing to the pathogenesis of SLE. A comprehensive, multidisciplinary clinical approach, based on a cooperation between immunologists, rheumatologists, neurologists, and mental health professionals, is crucial to promote patients' global health.

Relevant Characteristics Analysis Using Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning Based on Phenotypes and T-Cell Subsets in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patients With Anxiety

Anxiety is frequently observed in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and the immune system could act as a trigger for anxiety. To recognize abnormal T-cell and B-cell subsets for SLE patients with anxiety, in this study, patient disease phenotypes data from electronic lupus symptom records were extracted by using natural language processing. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used to distinguish patients, and 107 patients were selected to meet research requirements. Then, peripheral blood was collected from two patient groups for multicolor flow cytometry experiments. The characteristics of 75 T-cell and 15 B-cell subsets were investigated between SLE patients with- (n = 23) and without-anxiety (n = 84) groups by four machine learning methods. The findings showed 13 T-cell subsets were significantly different between the two groups. Furthermore, BMI, fatigue, depression, unstable emotions, CD27⁺CD28⁺ Th/Treg, CD27^-CD28^- Th/Treg, CD45RA^-CD27^- Th, and CD45RA⁺HLADR⁺ Th cells may be important characteristics between SLE patients with- and without-anxiety groups. The findings not only point out the difference of T-cell subsets in SLE patients with or without anxiety, but also imply that T cells might play the important role in patients with anxiety disorder.