Chinese Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Treatment and Research Group Registry IX: Clinical Features and Survival of Childhood-Onset Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in China

Effects of cyclophosphamide administration on ovarian dysfunction in pediatric patients with connective tissue diseases: A systematic scoping review

OBJECTIVE

This systematic scoping review assess the effect of cyclophosphamide (CY) administration during childhood on ovarian function in patients with juvenile-onset connective tissue diseases.

METHODS

A MEDLINE database search was conducted using terms related to CY, juvenile-onset connective tissue diseases, and ovarian function. Studies were included if they met specific criteria.

RESULTS

The search, conducted on 28 November 2023, yielded 3328 references. After a two-stage screening process, six observational studies on systemic lupus erythematosus patients were included. All studies had a high risk of confounding bias, as none adjusted for confounding variables. Two studies assessing clinical ovarian dysfunction found no clear difference between CY and non-CY groups. However, statistical differences were observed in hormonal profiles. Decreased ovarian reserve was more frequent in CY-exposed patients. Two studies showed significantly higher follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels in the CY group, while one showed a trend towards higher FSH levels without statistical significance.

CONCLUSION

This review suggested that CY use in childhood may not conclusively have clinically significant effects on ovarian function. Further investigation needed on CY's effect on hormonal levels, fertility, and pregnancy outcomes.

Systemic lupus erythematosus complicated with Fanconi syndrome: a case report and literature review

Background

Systemic lupus erythematosus is an autoimmune disease with diverse clinical manifestations. The symptoms of SLE in children are more atypical than adults. Childhood SLE complicated with Fanconi syndrome is extremely rare and even more difficult to diagnose.

Case presentation

This article reports a preschool boy with SLE who presented with renal tubular acidosis, accompanied by weakness in both lower limbs, delayed growth, and malnutrition. It was later found that the patient had the complication of Fanconi syndrome with renal tubular acidosis. Ultimately, renal biopsy confirmed lupus nephritis. The patient was treated with corticosteroid combined with mycophenolate mofetil, hydroxychloroquine, and belimumab. The symptoms of the child were relieved.

Conclusion

Here we report an extremely rare case of childhood SLE complicated with Fanconi syndrome. There has been no similar clinical report. It is necessary to be alert to the possibility of atypical SLE in children to avoid missed diagnosis and misdiagnosis.

Clinical characteristics and prognosis of childhood-onset lupus mesenteric vasculitis as the initial presentation-a case-control study

BACKGROUND

Lupus mesenteric vasculitis (LMV) as initial presentation is rare, especially in childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (cSLE). It is a critical complication of lupus. At present, the research on cSLE with LMV as the initial presentation is few. The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical characteristics and prognosis of cSLE with LMV in the Chinese population, compared with non-LMV cSLE.

METHODS

A retrospective case-controlled study was conducted on 55 cSLE patients between July 2018 and July 2021. The clinical data, laboratory findings, imaging, treatment, and follow-up data were collected and compared between the two groups of cSLE with LMV and non-LMV. Non-LMV cSLE patients were matched according to the age and sex of LMV patients.

RESULTS

A total of 11 cSLE patients with LMV as the LMV group and 44 cSLE patients without LMV as the non-LMV group were included. The average age of onset was 12.55 ± 1.57 years old, the male-to-female ratio was 2:9, and high disease activity was observed in the LMV group. Abdominal pain was most common in LMV. Compared with the non-LMV, the percentage of abdominal pain, vomiting, abdominal distension, and diarrhea was higher, and gastrointestinal tract, serous cavity, kidney, and lung damage were higher in the LMV group (P < 0.05). In abdominal-enhanced CT, the percentage of intestinal wall thickening, peritoneal effusion, mesenteric vascular enhancement, hydronephrosis with ureteral dilatation, intestinal congestion, and gastric mucosa thickening in the LMV group were higher than those in the non-LMV group (P < 0.05). The percentage of receiving methylprednisolone pulse combined with cyclophosphamide pulse therapy in LMV was higher than in non-LMV. The clinical symptoms disappeared quickly, and there were no deaths in the LMV group. Compared with the non-LMV group, the 24-h urinary protein was higher, the complement C3 was lower, and the disease activity was higher in the LMV group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

LMV often occurs in 12 ~ 13-year-old girls with high disease activity of cSLE. Abdominal pain is the most common and more susceptible to damage to the kidney, serous cavity, and lung in cSLE with LMV. Methylprednisolone pulse combined with CTX pulse therapy is effective. After the treatment above, cSLE with LMV has a good prognosis, but the overall recovery is worse than non-LMV patients.

Age-related differences in clinical and laboratory characteristics of childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus: Pre-puberal-onset SLE is prone to delayed diagnosis

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to analyze age-specific characteristics of childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (cSLE) at a health center in China.

METHODS

The children with SLE were grouped based on age at disease-onset: pre-pubertal (≤7 years), peri-pubertal (8-13 years), and adolescence (14-18 years). The retrospective study included patients with cSLE diagnosed at the Beijing Children's Hospital between 2013 and 2021.

RESULTS

A total of 675 females and 178 males were eligible for inclusion in this study. Among them, 160 patients were diagnosed during pre-puberty, 635 during peri-puberty, and 58 during adolescence. The female-to-male ratio of pre-pubertal, peri-pubertal, and adolescent diagnosis was 3.5: 1, 3.6: 1, and 7.28:1, respectively. The median time from onset to diagnosis during the pre-puberal period was 3.0 (IQR 1.0-24.0 months), which was longer than that during the peri-puberal period (1.4; IQR 0.7-4) months and adolescence (1.0; IQR 0.4-2) months (p = <.0001). The proportion of LN in patients diagnosed during the peri-puberal period (304, 46.6%) and during adolescence (27, 47.9%) was higher than that of patients diagnosed during the pre-puberal period (59, 36.9%) (p = .044). 46 (28.8%), 233 (36.7%), and 32 (55.2%) of children diagnosed during the pre-pubertal period, peri-pubertal period, and adolescence, respectively, suffered from leukopenia.

CONCLUSION

The proportion of renal involvement and leukopenia in the pre-pubertal group was lower than that of the pubertal group and adolescent group. More importantly, the younger the age of the patient, the more likely the diagnosis to be delayed.

Healthcare Costs and Utilization for Patients With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in China: A National Claims Database Study

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to describe the healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and healthcare costs associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) management in China from the patient's and the payer's perspective.

METHODS

HCRU and medical costs (2017 US dollar [USD]) between January 1 and December 31, 2017, were extracted from the national medical insurance claims database, China Health Insurance Research Association (consisting of claims from all public health insurance schemes in China), for adults with ≥ 1 SLE-related claim. The main analysis group comprised all adults with an SLE diagnosis and claim during 2017 (overall group); the annual subgroup (SLE diagnosis and claim in January 2017) informed annual HCRU and costs.

RESULTS

The overall group consisted of 3645 adults with ≥ 1 SLE-related claim. Outpatient visits constituted 86.9% of healthcare visits. SLE-related healthcare outpatient costs were USD 433 per outpatient, and inpatient costs were USD 2072 per inpatient. Medication costs accounted for 75.0% (USD 42/56) of total costs for outpatient visits and 44.3% (USD 456/1030) for inpatient hospitalizations. Notably, 35.4% of patients had a severe SLE flare; mean SLE-related cost per severe flare was USD 1616. HCRU and costs were similar in the annual subgroup. Female sex, SLE flares, tertiary hospitals, renal involvement, and utilization of anti-infective drugs were associated with higher SLE-related patient costs.

CONCLUSIONS

SLE in China is associated with considerable HCRU and medical costs, especially for patients experiencing severe SLE flares. Preventing organ involvement, infections, flares, and associated hospitalizations may reduce the burden on patients and healthcare providers in China.

Efficacy and safety of belimumab for the treatment of refractory childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus: A single-center, real-world, retrospective study

Objective

This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of belimumab for treating children with refractory childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (cSLE).

Methods

Twenty-six cSLE patients who received belimumab treatment in our hospital from January 2020 to September 2021 (23 of them for more than 52 weeks) were enrolled in this study. Their clinical and laboratory data, assessment of disease activity, glucocorticoid dosage, and treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were retrieved for analysis. The paired samples t-test and the nonparametric test were used to compare the baseline and post-treatment data.

Results

The mean age of onset was 10.3 ± 2.4 years old; the mean disease duration was 41.6 ± 37.4 months; the median Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K) score was 10 (P ₂₅, P ₇₅: 3, 17); and the mean Physician's Global Assessment (PGA) score at baseline was 1.9 ± 1.0. Compared with the baseline values, there was a significant decrease in the 24-h urine protein quantifications at 24 and 52 weeks of treatment (P<0.05) as well as an elevated complement (C) 3 and C4 levels at 4, 12, 24, and 52 weeks of treatment. In addition, the SLEDAI-2K and PGA scores as well as the percentage of CD19⁺ B cells were significantly decreased at 12, 24, and 52 weeks of treatment compared with the baseline values (P<0.05). The dosage of glucocorticoid at 4, 12, 24, and 52 weeks of treatment was significantly less than that at baseline or the previous follow-up (P<0.05). At 52 weeks, 14 subjects (53.8%) achieved Lupus Low Disease Activity State (LLDAS), and 4 subjects (15.4%) reached clinical remission (CR). At the last follow-up, 16 subjects (61.5%) achieved LLDAS, and 10 subjects (38.5%) reached CR.

Conclusions

Belimumab treatment can significantly improve laboratory indicators, reduce disease activity, and decrease the dosage of glucocorticoid required in children with cSLE. Moreover, it has a good safety profile.

Clinical and immunological phenotypes of systemic lupus erythematosus, identified based on cluster analysis of data from 400 patients from V.A. Nasonova Research Institute of Rheumatology

Objective: to identify clinical and immunological variants (phenotypes) of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) using cluster analysis.

Patients and methods. The study included 400 patients with diagnosis of SLE according to the 2012 SLICC classification criteria. Patients underwent laboratory and immunological workup according to accepted standards of medical care for patients with SLE, and therapy was prescribed in accordance with disease activity.

Results and discussion. Among patients, most were females (ratio of men and women – 1:10), and people of young age (34.2±11.5 years), with an average duration of illness of 6 [3; 12] years. In 98 (25%) patients with SLE, the disease debuted before the age of 18 years. Lupus nephritis (LN) was detected in 192 (48%) patients, SLE with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) – in 48 (12%), SLE with Sjцgren's syndrome – in 44 (11%). For cluster analysis 30 clinical, 4 laboratory, 12 immunological and 10 therapeutic parameters were selected and a dendrogram was constructed with the calculation of the Euclidean distance using the Ward method. As a result, five clusters of SLE were identified: with the development of LN; with predominantly extrarenal manifestations; SLE combined with APS; SLE combined with Sjцgren's syndrome; SLE with a debut in childhood (up to 18 years of age). Clusters differed in clinical, laboratory and immunological parameters, as well as in therapy.

Conclusion. Cluster analysis data made it possible to group the selected signs into five clinical and immunological variants (phenotypes) of SLE. Identification of SLE phenotypes as a set of characteristics that, individually or in combination, make it possible to determine differences between patients based on clinical, laboratory and immunological parameters, variants of the onset and course of the disease, response to therapy and prognosis, will contribute to a personalized approach in choosing the therapy, improving its long-term results, as well as quality of life and prognosis in patients with SLE.

Clinical and laboratorial outcome of different age-onset systemic lupus erythematosus patients in Jiangsu, China: a multicentre retrospective study

Studies on clinical features of systemic lupus erythematosus among different age-onset patients are lacking in China. This multicentre study aimed to systemically compare clinical manifestations, comorbidities, organ involvement, and laboratory findings among 797 Chinese juvenile-onset, adult-onset, and late-onset SLE (JSLE, ASLE, and LSLE) patients. They were classified into JSLE, ASLE, and LSLE groups if first diagnosed at < 18, 18–50, and > 50 years old, respectively. Chi-square test and analysis of variance were employed for categorical and continuous variables respectively. In younger-onset patients, the SLE Disease Activity Index 2000 score was significantly higher (JSLE vs. ASLE vs. LSLE = 17.43 ± 9.139 vs. 16.34 ± 8.163 vs. 14.08 ± 6.474, p = 0.031). Mucocutaneous symptoms (79.5% vs. 73.4% vs. 62.0%, p = 0.042), especially malar rash (76.1% vs. 66.1% vs. 53.5%, p = 0.011) occurred more frequently, and proteinuria rate was higher (54.5% vs. 56.3% vs. 36.6%, p = 0.007). In later-onset patients, cardiopulmonary involvement increased (11.4% vs. 24.3% vs. 29.6%, p = 0.012). In ASLE, hypoalbuminemia rate elevated (46.6% vs. 59.9% vs. 47.9%, p = 0.015). Our study demonstrated in a Chinese population that JSLE may be more active and suffer mucocutaneous disorders, while LSLE tended to suffer cardiopulmonary involvement at-onset. These findings may help identify treatment priorities when facing different age-onset SLE patients.

Clinical and laboratory features, disease activity, and outcomes of juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus at diagnosis: a single-center study from southern China

OBJECTIVES

This retrospective study aimed to analyze the clinical and laboratory features, disease activity, and outcomes of juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (jSLE) patients from southern China.

METHODS

A total of 173 jSLE patients who attended Rheumatology and Immunology Department of Meizhou People's Hospital between January 2010 and December 2019 are included for analysis.

RESULTS

The mean age of disease onset was 13.65 ± 2.80 (range, 5-17). The median age at diagnosis was 13.98 ± 2.88 (range, 5-17) years. The female to male ratio was 6.5:1. Renal involvement was the most prevalent clinical feature, occurred in 71.7% of the patients. A total of 27 (15.6%) patients underwent renal biopsy, and the most common type of renal pathology was class IV (44.4%). Our study demonstrated differences in antibody clusters for which the positivity rates of anti-dsDNA antibodies and anti-Sm antibodies were higher than the other jSLE cohorts reported in China and worldwide. Cyclophosphamide combined with corticosteroids was the main treatment medication. The mean SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) score at diagnosis was 14.3 ± 7.6 (range, 3-38). Five patients died during the initial diagnosis and treatment. Infection was the major cause of death.

CONCLUSION

The jSLE patients in this cohort had a higher prevalence of renal involvement, anti-dsDNA antibodies, and anti-Sm antibodies. Multicenter studies are needed to clarify the different clinical features of jSLE in southern China.

KEY POINTS

• A single-center study of juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus in clinical and laboratory features. • The jSLE patients had a higher prevalence of renal involvement and antibody disorder.

A multicenter longitudinal study of the prevalence and mortality rate of systemic lupus erythematosus patients in Oman: Oman Lupus Study

AIM

This study is a longitudinal multicenter study which aims to find the prevalence, the demographic data, survival and mortality rates of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in Oman.

METHOD

All Omani patients, pediatrics and adults diagnosed with SLE, who fulfill either the 1997 American College of Rheumatology or Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics classifications criteria for SLE were included from January 2006 till February 2020.

RESULTS

In total 1160 patients were included in this cohort. Data analysis showed that patient's ages ranged from 2-82 years with female predominance and female-to-male ratio of 7:1 (87.7% female,12.3% male). The mean prevalence of SLE among different age groups was 38.8 (range 5-63 per 100 000 inhabitants). The mortality rate was found to be 5%. Male patients had significantly higher mortality rate than females (7.6% vs 5.4%, P value = .04). Sepsis was the commonest cause of mortality (34%). The coexistence of systemic sclerosis correlates significantly with death (P = .002). Survival analysis in our data showed 5, 10, 20, 40-year survival rates of 100%, 100%, 99% and 90% respectively for antinuclear antibody (ANA) positive patients and lower survival rate for ANA negative patients with 5,10, 20, 40-year survival rates of 100, 99%, 99% and 75%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

This study showed that the mean prevalence of SLE in Oman to be 38.8 (range 5-63) per 100 000 inhabitants. The 40-year survival rate among patients with positive ANA was found to be 90%, while patients with negative ANA had worse survival outcomes.

Association of signal transducer and activator of transcription 4 gene (restriction site7582694) single nucleotide polymorphism with systemic lupus erythematosus

Background — Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an inflammatory autoimmune disease characterized by production of autoantibodies and deposition within various organs. The incidence of SLE averages 5 cases per 100,000 population. Various genome wide studies have shown association of STAT4 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 4) gene with SLE and lupus nephritis (LN). Therefore, this study was designed to determine single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in STAT4 (rs7582694) in local SLE, LN patients and healthy controls. Objective — To determine the frequency of STAT4 (rs7582694) gene polymorphism in systemic lupus erythematosus, lupus nephritis patients and healthy controls. Methods — It was a case-control study. Eighty samples were recruited for each of two study groups. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) extraction was carried out using standard phenol chloroform method. Further, samples were processed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) conventional technique and genotypes were determined. Polymorphism analysis and allele frequencies were compared between groups using the chi-square test. Project was approved by the Ethical Review Board at the University of Health Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan. Results — Females were more inclined towards developing SLE. The study unveiled that SNP in STAT 4 gene (rs7582694) was associated with SLE patients in Pakistani population which indicates that this may play a role in susceptibility to SLE. Moreover, we infer that genetic variations within STAT4 (rs7582694) predispose patients to lupus nephritis. It was also evident that GG and GC genotypes were more susceptible of further transforming into SLE and LN. Conclusion: The findings of this study may contribute to a better understanding of underlying etiological and prognostic factors regarding SLE and LN.

Kidney outcomes for children with lupus nephritis

Systemic lupus erythematosus is a rare lifelong multi-systemic autoimmune condition. Juvenile-onset SLE (JSLE) is recognized to have a more active disease course when compared with adult-onset disease and patients have a worse long-term survival. Kidney involvement occurs in over 50% of children and treatment decisions are guided by the histological classification. Several international groups have produced treatment protocols that rely on an intense period of immunosuppression to halt the acute kidney inflammatory process, followed by maintenance therapy with close observation for disease improvement and prompt evaluation of disease flares. A reduced glomerular filtration rate at presentation is predictive of later stage chronic kidney disease (CKD) in multivariate analysis. Kidney remission remains suboptimal with only 40-60% of patients achieving complete remission. Kidney flares are seen in over a third of patients. The rate of CKD 5 is reported to be up to 15% and the presence of lupus nephritis (LN) has an established link with an associated increase in mortality. In established kidney failure, transplantation seems to be the optimal kidney replacement modality for this group of patients, ideally after a period of disease quiescence. Modified outcome measures in clinical trials have demonstrated that biologic agents can be effective in this disease. Current biologic agents under investigation include obinutuzimab, belimumab, atacicept, anifrolumab, tocilizumab, eculizumab, dapirolizumab, and abatacept. Future research should focus on discovering early disease biomarkers, including surrogates for later cardiovascular disease, and evaluating biological agents as adjuncts to improve the rates of complete remission and subsequently influence the kidney outcome. The aim of this review article is to summarize the current kidney outcomes for this disease with a view to identifying key areas that may help to reduce the risk of long-term CKD.

2020 Chinese Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a heterogeneous autoimmune disease that represents a prodigious challenge of diagnosis and treatment. In 2019, under the leadership of the Chinese Rheumatology Association, a multidisciplinary guideline development group was established to develop an evidence-based diagnosis and treatment guideline for patients with SLE in PR China. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach was used to evaluate the quality of evidence and the strength of recommendations. The guideline was reported following the Reporting Items for Practice Guidelines in Healthcare (RIGHT) checklist. In this guideline, we provided recommendations for SLE classification criteria, disease activity monitoring and assessment, medication administration and considerations for SLE patients with organs and systems involved, and management of special populations such as SLE patients in the setting of pregnancy. This guideline serves as an evidence-based tool for Chinese clinicians to diagnose and treat patients with SLE.

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Symptoms and Signs at Initial Presentations

BACKGROUND

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune multisystem inflammatory condition that causes microvascular inflammation with the production of various auto-antibodies that play a major role in its pathogenesis. SLE can affect both sexes, all ages, and all ethnic groups with widespread geographical and socioeconomic backgrounds. Asia encompasses people of many sociocultural backgrounds with diverse ethnic.

OBJECTIVE

Due to a lack of national epidemiological research, the incidence and prevalence of SLE in Middle Eastern and Arab countries, have only recently been studied. This article aims to explore the status of SLE in Oman and to record symptoms and signs of SLE at first presentation.

METHODOLOGY

Medical records of all patients diagnosed with SLE at the Royal Hospital from 2006 to 2014 were reviewed for information recorded at first visit. SLE diagnosis was based on the American College of Rheumatology classification criteria; ACR97 (which includes the clinical manifestation and laboratory evidence). Patients with SLE disease manifestations extrapolated and analyzed. There were 966 patients diagnosed with SLE during the period from 2006 to 2014. Mean (SD) age at presentations was 35.5 (11.5) years. Majority of patients were female which constitutes 88.7% of the total SLE patients with mean age 27.6 (1.4) years.

RESULTS

Constitutional symptoms were found in 48.68 of SLE population including fatigue in 35.22%, and weight changes in 13.43%. The cutaneous manifestations that were present included malar rash 37.69%, photosensitivity 35.10%, discoid lupus 17.63%, and hair loss 39.29%. Musculoskeletal manifestations were commonly seen among the studied population including arthralgia in 68.75%, myalgia in 55.65%, arthritis in 48.31%, whilst myositis, tendon abnormalities and avascular necrosis were found in only 2.47%, 0.31% and 1.98%. respectively.

CONCLUSION

This is the first study of the symptoms and signs at initial clinical presentation of SLE patients compared to other studies done regionally where most have focused on clinical manifestations during the progression course of SLE. SLE manifestations may be related to the differences in the genetic make-up of the patients who come from various ethnic groups despite similar geography or sociocultural background, or to referral bias, as some studies were performed in the nephrology units and others in the rheumatology units. There is a pressing need to establish a nationwide and regional collaboration to establish LUPUS and to put forward a strategic planning with each MOH to provide an easy and efficient report of SLE cases and provide various effective management for such a debilitating syndrome.

A Predictive Model for Estimation Risk of Proliferative Lupus Nephritis

BACKGROUND

Lupus nephritis (LN) is classified by renal biopsy into proliferative and nonproliferative forms, with distinct prognoses, but renal biopsy is not available for every LN patient. The present study aimed to establish an alternate tool by building a predictive model to evaluate the probability of proliferative LN.

METHODS

In this retrospective cohort with biopsy-proven LN, 382 patients in development cohort, 193 in internal validation cohort, and 164 newly diagnosed patients in external validation cohort were selected. Logistic regression model was established, and the concordance statistics (C-statistics), Akaike information criterion (AIC), integrated discrimination improvement, Hosmer-Lemeshow test, and net reclassification improvement were calculated to evaluate the performance and validation of models.

RESULTS

The prevalence of proliferative LN was 77.7% in the whole cohort. A model, including age, gender, systolic blood pressure, hemoglobin, proteinuria, hematuria, and serum C3, performed well on good-of-fit and discrimination in the development chohort to predict the risk of proliferative LN (291 for AIC and 0.84 for C-statistics). In the internal and external validation cohorts, this model showed good capability for discrimination and calibration (0.84 and 0.82 for C-statistics, and 0.99 and 0.75 for P values, respectively).

CONCLUSION

This study developed and validated a model including demographic and clinical indices to evaluate the probability of presenting proliferative LN to guide therapeutic decisions and outcomes.

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in Primary Care: An Update and Practical Messages for the General Practitioner

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a complex chronic autoimmune disease that manifests a wide range of organ involvement. Traditionally, the diagnosis and management of SLE is provided at secondary and tertiary centers to ensure prompt initiation of treatment, adequate control of flares and prevention of irreversible organ damage. Notwithstanding, the role of primary care in SLE is also emerging as there are still significant unmet needs such as the diagnostic delay at the community level and the high burden of therapy- and disease-related comorbidities. In the present review, we summarize practical messages for primary care physicians and general practitioners (GPs) concerning early diagnosis and proper referral of patients with SLE. In addition, we discuss the main comorbidities complicating the disease course and the recommended preventative measures, and we also provide an update on the role and current educational needs of GPs regarding the disease.

Flares in Chinese systemic lupus erythematosus patients: a 6-year follow-up study

This study determined the flare status of SLE patients in a single-center Chinese cohort and identified the predictors of flare in this underreported Asian population. The patients were recruited from April 2009 to February 2010 at the Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH), and then followed up regularly at our clinic until December 2015. Flare was defined as an increase in SLEDAI-2K to ≥ 4 points from the previous visit, or appearing of a new SLE manifestation or worsening of a preexisting clinical or hematological manifestation (not included in SLEDAI-2K) that results in restarting or increasing corticosteroids or immunosuppressant. Baseline and follow-up data were collected, and some of them were used as variables in survival analysis for time-to-flare outcome with Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and log-rank tests. Potential predictors with significant differences were further included in a multivariate Cox regression model for confounders adjustment and hazard ratio (HR) calculation. A total of 254 patients were finally included in our analysis. Yearly flare proportion rate was 13.0-15.7%. Renal, hematologic, and neurologic were the most frequently involved organs. Multivariate analysis confirmed onset age up to 18 years (HR 2.14, 95% CI 1.09-4.19) as a flare predictor. Organ damage at entry also showed an association trend with flare (HR = 1.693, 95% CI 0.943 ~ 3.041, p = 0.078). Chinese SLE patients showed a higher prevalence for disease flare compared with other ethnics. Future studies should be designed for figuring out the prediction role of fluctuation of anti-dsDNA antibody for disease flare.