Predictors of systemic lupus erythematosus

Abstract

Systemic lupus erythematosus is a multisystem autoimmune disease characterized by multiorgan system damage. In total 72 cases and 142 matched controls were interviewed between 2008 and 2019. Clinical data for all cases were obtained from the central patients' database. Using a multivariate model, cases with a history of hypertension tended to have an increased risk of the development of SLE (OR 3.7, 95% CI 1.36-7.9). Also, cases were more likely to report angina pectoris compared to controls (OR 4.7, 95% CI 1.6-24). There was a statistically significant association between a family history of any autoimmune disease and an increased risk of SLE (OR 2.25, 95% CI 1.25-4.05). Those who consume >200 grams of alcohol per week had a significantly lower risk of SLE, while very few participants contributed to this evidence. While those who smoke 2 to 5 cigarette packs per week had 2.64 times increased risk of SLE compared to non-smokers (OR = 2.64, 95% CI 0.97-7.18), however, none of the results on this exposure was statistically significant. SLE may be associated both with endogenous and exogenous factors. Additional well-designed studies are needed to explore a cause-and-effect relationship between endogenous and exogenous factors and SLE.lupus