aSLE Patients Research Articles

Single-cell analysis with childhood and adult systemic lupus erythematosus

Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a heterogeneous and chronic autoimmune disease, exhibit unique changes in the complex composition and transcriptional signatures of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). While the mechanism of pathogenesis for both childhood-onset SLE (cSLE) and adult-onset SLE (aSLE) remains unclear, cSLE patients are considered more unpredictable and dangerous than aSLE patients. In this study, we analysed single-cell RNA sequencing data (scRNA-seq) to profile the PBMC clusters of cSLE/aSLE patients and matched healthy donors and compared the PBMC composition and transcriptional variations between the two groups. Our analysis revealed that the PBMC composition and transcriptional variations in cSLE patients were similar to those in aSLE patients. Comparative single-cell transcriptome analysis between healthy donors and SLE patients revealed IFITM3, ISG15, IFI16 and LY6E as potential therapeutic targets for both aSLE and cSLE patients. Additionally, we observed that the percentage of pre-B cells (CD34-) was increased in cSLE patients, while the percentage of neutrophil cells was upregulated in aSLE patients. Notably, we found decreased expression of TPM2 in cSLE patients, and similarly, TMEM150B, IQSEC2, CHN2, LRP8 and USP46 were significantly downregulated in neutrophil cells from aSLE patients. Overall, our study highlights the differences in complex PBMC composition and transcriptional profiles between cSLE and aSLE patients, providing potential biomarkers that could aid in diagnosing SLE.

OA12 Comparing disease manifestations and outcomes in juvenile-onset SLE and adult-onset SLE patients: a nested case-control study within a Singapore cohort

Abstract Background/Aims To compare disease manifestations and outcomes of juvenile-onset SLE (jSLE) and adult-onset SLE (aSLE) patients using a nested case-control study of patients in a Singapore cohort. Methods A prospective cohort of SLE patients was established at Tan Tock Seng Hospital from 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2017. Sociodemographic, clinical, laboratory and treatment data were collected according to a standardised protocol. jSLE patients (≤18 years old) were selected from this cohort and matched for gender and disease duration in a 1:1 ratio with aSLE patients. Data from the enrolment visit (V0) and last visit (VL) were analysed in this study. Results There were 148 jSLE patients with sufficient information for analysis who were matched with 148 aSLE patients. Fever and lymphadenopathy (p < 0.001) and hypocomplementemia (p = 0.002 at V0) were significantly more common in jSLE, while cardiovascular manifestations were significantly more common in aSLE patients (p = 0.008 at VL). Disease activity measured by the SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) was higher in the jSLE group at V0 (median SLEDAI 4 vs 2, p=0.05) and at VL (median SLEDAI 2.5 vs 0, p = 0.007). A significantly higher proportion of jSLE patients received immunosuppressants (intravenous cyclophosphamide, mycophenolate mofetil, azathioprine and ciclosporin) (p = 0.003 at V0, p < 0.001 at VL) and intravenous methylprednisolone (p < 0.001 at V0 and VL) compared to aSLE patients. Conclusion A higher proportion of jSLE patients have fever, lymphadenopathy, hypocomplementemia, or more active disease requiring greater use of immunosuppressants compared to aSLE patients. Early diagnosis and treatment of jSLE may prevent development of major organ involvement, in particular renal and neuropsychiatric. Disclosure B.Y. Thong: None. Y. Khong: None. X. Lim: None. H. Howe: None.

Microstructural Changes in the Corpus Callosum in Systemic Lupus Erythematous.

Central nervous system (CNS) involvement in childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (cSLE) occurs in more than 50% of patients. Structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has identified global cerebral atrophy, as well as the involvement of the corpus callosum and hippocampus, which is associated with cognitive impairment. In this cross-sectional study we included 71 cSLE (mean age 24.7 years (SD 4.6) patients and a disease duration of 11.8 years (SD 4.8) and two control groups: (1) 49 adult-onset SLE (aSLE) patients (mean age of 33.2 (SD 3.7) with a similar disease duration and (2) 58 healthy control patients (mean age of 29.9 years (DP 4.1)) of a similar age. All of the individuals were evaluated on the day of the MRI scan (Phillips 3T scanner). We reviewed medical charts to obtain the clinical and immunological features and treatment history of the SLE patients. Segmentation of the corpus callosum was performed through an automated segmentation method. Patients with cSLE had a similar mid-sagittal area of the corpus callosum in comparison to the aSLE patients. When compared to the control groups, cSLE and aSLE had a significant reduction in the mid-sagittal area in the posterior region of the corpus callosum. We observed significantly lower FA values and significantly higher MD, RD, and AD values in the total area of the corpus callosum and in the parcels B, C, D, and E in cSLE patients when compared to the aSLE patients. Low complement, the presence of anticardiolipin antibodies, and cognitive impairment were associated with microstructural changes. In conclusion, we observed greater microstructural changes in the corpus callosum in adults with cSLE when compared to those with aSLE. Longitudinal studies are necessary to follow these changes, however they may explain the worse cognitive function and disability observed in adults with cSLE when compared to aSLE.

Интерфероны I типа, потребность в глюкокортикостероидах и коморбидность у пациентов с системной красной волчанкой

Background: сomorbidity is one of the factors which considerably reduce life expectancy and affect quality of life of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Interferons (IFNs) are molecules whose changing concentrations may induce the active clinical manifestations of SLE and the increase in risk of comorbidities and their higher severity. The involvement of IFN-α in the development of comorbidities in the adult population of SLE patients may have distinguishing characteristics in cases of childhood-onset SLE and will need further research for better understanding its role. Aim: to assess the relationship between the level of IFN-α and the need for glucocorticosteriods (GCs) and the prevalence of comorbidities in adult SLE patients with different onset ages. Patients and Methods: this non-interventional study included SLE patients (n=71) (SLICC (2012) / EULAR (2019) Criteria) who did not receive genetically engineered biological agents: 43 (60%) patients with SLE onset under the age of 18 years comprised the group of juvenile SLE (jSLE) and 28 (40%) patients with SLE onset at 18 years or older age were included in the group of adult SLE (aSLE). For determining SLE activity during physical examination of patients, the SLEDAI-2K index was used. Serum IFN-α levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) and the CIRS-G scale were used for assessing comorbidities. Results: in patients with aSLE, serum IFN-α levels were higher and associated with higher GC doses. Also, aSLE patients had higher CCI and CIRS-G scores. As regards comorbid diseases, a statistically significant higher prevalence of peptic (stomach and duodenal) ulcers and menstrual disorders in women was observed. These comorbidities correlated with IFN-α levels. Conclusion: serum IFN-α levels are associated with the use of high GS doses and high CCI and CIRS-G scores, as well as the prevalence of GI diseases and menstrual disorders in women. The anti-interferon therapy seems to be a promising option for reducing "steroid addiction" and related comorbidities. KEYWORDS: systemic lupus erythematosus, interferon, anifrolumab, glucocorticosteroids, comorbidity. FOR CITATION: Aliev D.B., Inamova O.V., Maslyansky A.L. et al. Type I interferon, the need for glucocorticosteroids and comorbidities in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Russian Medical Inquiry. 2023;7(3):118–123 (in Russ.). DOI: 10.32364/2587-6821- 2023-7-3-118-123.

Cognitive Performance in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Using the Ped-ANAM

Computerized batteries have been widely used to investigate cognitive impairment (CI) in patients with SLE. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cognitive performance of patients with SLE in relation to healthy controls using the Pediatric Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metrics (Ped-ANAM) battery. In addition, we aimed to examine differences in Ped-ANAM scores according to age of disease onset, presence of disease activity, and disease damage. We included 201 consecutive adult-onset (aSLE) and childhood-onset SLE (cSLE) patients who were being followed at the hospital's rheumatology outpatient clinic and 177 healthy controls. We applied the percentage of correct answers on the Ped-ANAM subtests and the Performance Validity Index (PVI) metric and correlated them with the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Damage Index (SDI). Then, we established their relationships with neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus (NPSLE). We observed CI in a total of 38 (18.9%) SLE patients and 8 (4.5%) healthy controls (p < 0.001). CI was observed in eight (19.5%) cSLE patients and 32 (20%) aSLE patients (p = 0.8175). Individual analysis of the aSLE subtests showed a significant difference in all subtests compared to healthy controls; the greatest differences were in matching to sample (p < 0.001) and memory search ( p < 0.001). In the cSLE group, we observed a difference in the code substitution subtests (p = 0.0065) compared to the healthy controls. In the evaluation of clinical outcomes, disease activity was significantly correlated with CI in cSLE (r = 0.33; p = 0.042) and aSLE (r = 0.40; p = 0.001). We also observed an association between disease activity and neuropsychiatric manifestations (p = 0.0012) in aSLE. In conclusion, we determined that cognitive dysfunction, mainly in memory and attention, was more prevalent in patients with SLE. In both the cSLE and aSLE groups, disease activity was associated with worse cognitive function. This is the first study to use the Ped-ANAM in Brazil. Longitudinal studies are necessary to determine how the Ped-ANAM will perform over time.

Evaluation of the 2019 EULAR/ACR classification criteria for systemic lupus erythematosus in children and adults

To evaluate the performance of the 2019 European League Against Rheumatism/American College of Rheumatology (EULAR/ACR-2019) classification criteria for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) compared with the ACR-1997 and Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) 2012 criteria in childhood-onset SLE (cSLE) and adult-onset SLE (aSLE) patients. We conducted a retrospective study of SLE patients (221 children and 221 adults) and controls (214 children and 214 adults) with defined rheumatic diseases to establish each ACR-1997, SLICC-2012, and EULAR/ACR-2019 criterion fulfilled. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory features were evaluated through chart review. For cSLE, sensitivities of ACR-1997, SLICC-2012, and EULAR/ACR-2019 criteria were 63.3%, 94.6%, and 98.2%, with specificities 99.5%, 98.6%, and 93.5%, respectively. For aSLE, sensitivities of ACR-1997, SLICC-2012, and EULAR/ACR-2019 criteria were 72.9%, 96.8%, and 99.1%, with specificities 97.2%, 92.5%, and 90.2%, respectively. When including only ANA positive patients, receiver operating characteristics analysis demonstrated that the cutoff value for EULAR/ACR-2019 criteria in cSLE and aSLE patients was 13 (sensitivity, 92.2%; specificity, 93.1%) and 10 (sensitivity, 99.1%; specificity, 85.1%), respectively. Twelve cSLE patients and seven aSLE patients only met the EULAR/ACR-2019 criteria, among whom eleven and four cases had single organ involvement, respectively. The EULAR/ACR-2019 criteria showed similar sensitivity to cSLE and aSLE patients and was more sensitive than ACR-1997 and SLICC-2012 criteria, allowing earlier recognition of patients with single or major organ involvement. The adoption of a EULAR/ACR total score ≥ 13 in this study, instead of the initially proposed ≥ 10 points, could further improve the diagnostic performance of the EULAR/ACR-2019 criteria in cSLE. Key Points • Sensitivity of the EULAR/ACR-2019 criteria was high in both cSLE and aSLE patients. • The EULAR/ACR-2019 criteria allowed earlier recognition of patients with single or major organ damage. • The adoption of a EULAR/ACR total score ≥13 could further improve the diagnostic performance of the EULAR/ACR-2019 criteria in cSLE.

Association of Human Leucocyte Antigen Class II, with viral load and immune response to Epstein-Barr virus in adult and pediatric Systemic lupus erythematosus patients.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multisystem autoimmune disease, which is known to be associated with HLA-DRB1 and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection. In the Indian subcontinent where there is high seroendemicity of EBV, we postulated that the association of this virus in adult SLE (aSLE) and pediatric SLE (pSLE) patients would be different and differentially associate with the HLA-DRB1 susceptibility and protective genes. A total of 109 aSLE, 52 pSLE, 215 adult healthy and 63 pediatric healthy controls were recruited. HLA-DRB1 genotyping by PCR-SSP, EBV load estimation by real-time PCR and antibody profiling (IgG & IgM) to EBV antigens by line blot assay were performed. DRB1*15 was found predominant in pSLE patients and DRB1*03 in aSLE patients. DRB1*15/X heterozygous was predominant in overall SLE patients, although disease severity, like hypocomplementemia, higher autoantibody levels and more organ involvement was observed in *15/*15 homozygous state. EBV strongly associated with pSLE patients showing higher percent of EA-D IgG (p < 0.0001) and p22 IgG (p = 0.035) along with higher viral load (p = 0.001) as compared to healthy controls. In addition, the higher EBV DNA load significantly associated with anti-EA-D IgG (p = 0.013) and DRB1*15/*15 (p = 0.007) in pSLE patients as compared to aSLE patients. This study therefore indicates that different HLA-DRB1 allotypes confer susceptibility to SLE in children and adults and disease may be triggered by increased EBV reactivation.

Clinical characteristics of 1020 childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus: data from a health centre in China.

Childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (cSLE) is a multisystem autoimmune disease characterised and presents partially differently from adults. A large cSLE cohort study is lacking in China. The present study aimed to determine the clinical characteristics in a large population of patients with cSLE, and compare with adult-onset SLE (aSLE) in an SLE cohort of China. The retrospective study included patients with cSLE diagnosed at the Beijing Children's hospital between July 2006 and October 2020. All patients met at least 4 of ACR classification criteria for SLE. In addition, data including demographic, clinical and serologic data were collected. Our data were compared with other cSLE cohorts and Chinese aSLE cohorts. A total of 1020 patients were included in this study, comprising 808 female and 212 male patients (female to male ratio, 3.8:1). The mean age at diagnosis of lupus was 11.1 years (range 1.0-17.2). It took on average 6 months (range 0.1-132) from first symptoms to cSLE diagnosis and over 12 months in 12% of patients. The most common primary manifestations at onset were rash (37.2%), fever (33.4%), nephropathy (14.2%) and arthritis (13.6%). The most common clinical manifestations were rash (67.9%) and fever (57.5%). 59.4% of patients had haematological involvement, 46.0% had lupus nephritis, 33.2% had arthritis. cSLE was more active and associated with more inflammation than aSLE patients. This study is a large single-centre study on cSLE from China and clarifies the clinical phenotype and autoantibody spectrum of cSLE. The clinical manifestations and autoantibody spectrum of cSLE are diverse, with regional and populational differences.

Longitudinal comparison of IL-6, IL-10, and IL-12 cytokine profiles in adult and childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus

ObjectiveTo compare the levels of Th1 (IL-12) and Th2 (IL-6 and IL10) cytokines over a two-year period among systemic lupus erythematosus patients with childhood-onset (cSLE), adult-onset (sSLE), and healthy controls, and correlate with their clinical, laboratory, and treatment manifestations. MethodsThe study included 63 patients with cSLE [57 (90%) women; mean age 19.7 ± 4.3 years (range = 10–29); mean disease duration 7.3 ± 4.2 years (range 2–15)], 67 patients with aSLE [65 (97%) women; mean age of 39.9 ± 11.8 years (range 21–68); disease duration 7.7 ± 3.1 years (range 4–16)], and 40 healthy controls [36 (90%) women; mean age of 29.6 ± 10 years (range 12–49)]. cSLE and aSLE patients were paired by disease duration. Clinical and laboratory manifestations, disease activity (SLEDAI), cumulative damage (SDI), and current drug exposures were evaluated. Symptoms of anxiety and depression were evaluated by the Beck inventory (BAI and BDI, respectively). Th1 (IL-12) and Th2 (IL-6 and IL-10) cytokines were measured by the ELISA test. Data were collected at four different time points (TI, TII, TIII, and TIV) and compared by non-parametric tests. ResultsIL-6 levels were significantly higher in aSLE patients compared to healthy controls at times I, II, and III (TI p = 0.013, TII p = 0.015, TIII p = 0.004, and TIV p = 0.634). However, no difference was observed between cSLE patients and healthy controls (TI p = 0.223, TII p = 0.613, TIII p = 0.341, and TIV p = 0.977). In addition, no difference was observed between aSLE and cSLE patients (TI p = 0.377, TII p = 0.123, TIII p = 0.105, and TIV p = 0.591). The levels of IL-12 were significantly higher in cSLE patients compared to healthy controls at all time points (TI p = 0.04, TII p < 0.001, TIII p = 0.015, and TIV p = 0.021). aSLE patients showed significantly elevated levels when compared to healthy controls at time III and IV (TI p = 0.752, TII p = 0.827, TIII p = 0.011*, and TIV p < 0.001*). cSLE patients showed significantly higher levels than aSLE patients at times I and II (TI p = 0.07*, TII p < 0.001*, TIII p = 0.998, and TIV p = 0.140). In aSLE patients, IL-6 was associated with headache (p = 0.006), arthritis (p = 0.044), and nephritis (p = 0.012); IL-10 was associated with nephritis (p = 0.043), hypocomplementemia (p = 0.001), and disease activity (p = 0.001); in these patients, IL-12 was associated with alopecia (p = 0.025) and leukopenia (p = 0.044). In cSLE patients, IL-6 was associated with arthritis (p = 0.022) and malar rash (p = 0.012). ConclusionaSLE and cSLE patients with long disease duration present similar levels of cytokines, despite differences in clinical activity patterns over time.

P161 A comparative study of childhood-onset SLE with adult-onset patients: a single centre study

Abstract Background/Aims Childhood-onset SLE (cSLE) was once associated with significant mortality but 5-year survival rates have now improved significantly. We retrospectively compared the clinical features and outcomes of cSLE patients with an adult-onset SLE (aSLE) group. Methods We retrospectively studied data from 30 patients from our cSLE patients (onset before age 16) compared with 65 aSLE randomly selected in a 2:1 ratio, from our Lupus clinic patients fulfilling the 1997 ACR SLE criteria. Data regarding ethnicity, age of onset, family history, serology, complications, medications and outcomes were recorded. Results Of cSLE patients 24 were female and 6 male (F:M ratio 4:1), with 16 patients (53%) Afro-Caribbean, 8 Caucasian, 5 Asian and 1 of mixed ethnicity. In the aSLE group, 60 patients were female and 5 male (ratio 9:1), with 29 (44%) Afro-Caribbean, 13 Asian, 21 Caucasian and 2 of mixed ethnicity. Median age at disease onset was 14 years (10-16) in cSLE and 29 years (17-50) in aSLE. A positive family history of SLE was seen in 37% (11/30) of cSLE patients compared to 11% (7/65) of aSLE [p = 0.003]. There was no difference in family history of other autoimmune rheumatic diseases (10% vs 14% [p = 0.57]). Table 1 shows frequency of different autoantibodies, with anti-dsDNA and anti-cardiolipin antibodies significantly more frequent in the cSLE group [p = 0.017, p = 0.016 respectively]. Lupus nephritis appears to be more common in cSLE but not significantly (80% renal involvement vs 69% aSLE).There was no difference between involvement of chest, haematological, VTE or APS. Standard of care treatment was used in both groups, including oral prednisolone (&amp;gt;80% patients), anti-malarial and immunosuppressive medications. Renal flares were significantly more frequent in cSLE (23% vs 8%, [p = 0.027]). Of those deceased, only 1 was directly due to SLE. P161 Table 1:Serological markercSLE (n = 30)aSLE (n = 65)Number of patients%Number of patients%ANA2790%6498%dsDNA23*77%33*51%ENA1447%3655%RNP827%2335%Anti-Ro1033%2132%Anti-Sm827%1218%C1Q14**64%19**63%ACL17*57%20*31%LAC930%1828%RF517%69%Comparison of serological markers.*p &amp;lt; 0.05 (Chi-square used).**10 patients’ data missing. Conclusion More cSLE patients had a positive SLE family history and had higher anti-dsDNA antibody positivity compared to aSLE. Renal involvement was observed more commonly in cSLE than aSLE patients but was not statistically significant. Our results suggest that the cSLE cohort have a higher prevalence of specific lupus serology and a positive family history of SLE which may point towards more aggressive disease. Disclosure N.T. Morton: None. Z. Rutter-Locher: None. M. Durrani: None. S. Sangle: None. N. Wilkinson: None. D. D'Cruz: None.

Relationship Between Genetic Risk and Age of Diagnosis in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Specific risk alleles for childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus SLE (cSLE) vs adult-onset SLE (aSLE) patients have not been identified. The aims of this study were to determine if there is an association (1) between non-HLA-related genetic risk score (GRS) and age of SLE diagnosis, and (2) between HLA-related GRS and age of SLE diagnosis. Genomic DNA was obtained from 2001 multiethnic patients and genotyped using the Immunochip. Following quality control, genetic risk counting (GRCS), weighted (GRWS), standardized counting (GRSCS), and standardized weighted (GRSWS) scores were calculated based on independent single-nucleotide polymorphisms from validated SLE loci. Scores were analyzed in a regression model and adjusted by sex and ancestral population. The analyzed cohort consisted of 1540 patients: 1351 females and 189 males (675 cSLE and 865 aSLE). There were significant negative associations between all non-HLA GRS and age of SLE diagnosis: P = 0.011 and r2 = 0.175 for GRWS; P = 0.008 and r2 = 0.178 for GRSCS; P = 0.002 and r2 = 0.176 for GRSWS (higher GRS correlated with lower age of diagnosis.) All HLA GRS showed significant positive associations with age of diagnosis: P = 0.049 and r2 = 0.176 for GRCS; P = 0.022 and r2 = 0.176 for GRWS; P = 0.022 and r2 = 0.176 for GRSCS; P = 0.011 and r2 = 0.177 for GRSWS (higher GRS correlated with higher age of diagnosis). Our data suggest that there is a linear relationship between genetic risk and age of SLE diagnosis and that HLA and non-HLA GRS are associated with age of diagnosis in opposite directions.

The Value of Screening for Celiac Disease in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Single Experience of a Tertiary Medical Center.

IntroductionSystemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multi-organ inflammatory disease associated with autoimmune diseases. The aim of the study is to assessed the frequency of celiac disease (CD) in adults and children with SLE (aSLE and cSLE, respectively) and compare them with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) patients; the study also explored the clinical impact of CD serologic markers on SLE disease activity and severity.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study. Patients with SLE who had regular follow-up in rheumatology clinics were evaluated for laboratory and clinical variables using serology and the SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI). To assess the occurrence of CD serology in cSLE and aSLE and the clinical impact of CD serologic markers on SLE, patients were tested for antigliadin (AGA), anti-endomysium (EmA) and anti-tissue transglutaminase (tTG) antibodies. RA and JIA patients were included for comparison. Duodenal biopsy was conducted in patients who exhibited CD markers.ResultsThe CD marker was found in 29 (11.6%) of the 250 patients. AGA was present in seven aSLE patients and tTG in two (11.1%). Among cSLE patients, the autoantibody was present in 17.6% (AGA in four, tTG in two, and EmA in three). For RA patients, five had AGA and tTG and one had EmA, with an overall positivity of 9.7%. Five JIA patients had AGA (four with EmA and five with tTG) with overall positivity of 10.9%; the serum IgA level was normal in all patients except one. Duodenal endoscopic biopsy was performed in patients with positive CD markers (two declined). Histologic confirmation of CD was reported in one RA and one JIA patient but in none of the SLE patients. There was no correlation between the presence of CD markers and autoantibodies in SLE.ConclusionCD antibodies did not influence SLE activity. Thus, SLE patients may not need to be screened for CD antibodies.

Association of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) genetic susceptibility loci with lupus nephritis in childhood-onset and adult-onset SLE.

LN is one of the most common and severe manifestations of SLE. Our aim was to test the association of SLE risk loci with LN risk in childhood-onset SLE (cSLE) and adult-onset SLE (aSLE). Two Toronto-based tertiary care SLE cohorts included cSLE (diagnosed <18 years) and aSLE patients (diagnosed ⩾18 years). Patients met ACR and/or SLICC SLE criteria and were genotyped on the Illumina Multi-Ethnic Global Array or Omni1-Quad arrays. We identified those with and without biopsy-confirmed LN. HLA and non-HLA additive SLE risk-weighted genetic risk scores (GRSs) were tested for association with LN risk in logistic models, stratified by cSLE/aSLE and ancestry. Stratified effect estimates were meta-analysed. Of 1237 participants, 572 had cSLE (41% with LN) and 665 had aSLE (30% with LN). Increasing non-HLA GRS was significantly associated with increased LN risk [odds ratio (OR) = 1.26; 95% CI 1.09, 1.46; P = 0.0006], as was increasing HLA GRS in Europeans (OR = 1.55; 95% CI 1.07, 2.25; P = 0.03). There was a trend for stronger associations between both GRSs and LN risk in Europeans with cSLE compared with aSLE. When restricting cases to proliferative LN, the magnitude of these associations increased for both the non-HLA (OR = 1.30; 95% CI 1.10, 1.52; P = 0.002) and HLA GRS (OR = 1.99; 95% CI 1.29, 3.08; P = 0.002). We observed an association between known SLE risk loci and LN risk in children and adults with SLE, with the strongest effect observed among Europeans with cSLE. Future studies will include SLE-risk single nucleotide polymorphisms specific to non-European ancestral groups and validate findings in an independent cohort.

GATA3 rs3824662 gene polymorphism as possible risk factor for systemic lupus erythematosus.

There is no report about the association between GATA3 rs3824662 polymorphism and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). To investigate the possible role of GATA3 rs3824662 polymorphism as a susceptibility risk factor for either adult SLE (aSLE) or pediatric SLE (pSLE) and to evaluate its role in the development of lupus nephritis (LN) in pSLE. Typing of GATA3 rs3824662 polymorphism was done using real-time polymerase chain reaction for three groups; 104 pSLE patients, 140 aSLE patients and 436 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Non-significant differences were found between SLE patients and healthy controls for the allele and genotype frequencies of GATA3 rs3824662 ( p > 0.05). In pSLE; the AC genotype was associated with LN ( p = 0.04); the A allele and AC genotype were associated with persistent proteinuria ( p = 0.036 and 0.01, respectively) and both the A allele and AA genotype were associated with higher chronicity index ( p = 0.031 and 0.04, respectively). In aSLE; the C allele was associated with cellular cast ( p = 0.03) and thrombocytopenia ( p = 0.01). Logistic regression analysis revealed significant association between the AC+AA genotypes and the prediction of LN and renal active disease in pSLE ( p = 0.04 and 0.01, respectively). GATA3 rs3824662 is not associated with susceptibility to SLE either in adult or in pediatric patients; however, in pSLE patients, the heterozygous AC genotype could be considered a risk factor for LN. At the same time, the AC and AA genotypes could be considered as predictors for LN and active renal disease. However, the small sample size is a limiting factor of the present study when interpreting the positive association.

Distinct clinical correlates of immune thrombocytopenic purpura at diagnosis of childhood-onset and adult SLE

Objectives: To compare clinical and laboratorial features between childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (cSLE) and adult SLE (aSLE) at concomitant diagnosis of immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP).Methods: This study evaluated 56 cSLE and 73 aSLE patients regularly followed at Pediatric and Rheumatology Divisions of the same University hospital with ITP (platelets count <100,000/mm3 in the absence of other causes) at lupus onset.Results: Median current age was 11.6 and 27.3 years in cSLE and aSLE, respectively. cSLE had a higher frequency of ITP compared to aSLE (17% vs. 4%, p < .0001) and the former group had more hemorrhagic manifestations (36% vs. 16%, p = .0143). Constitutional symptoms and reticuloendothelial manifestations (p < .05), as well as pericarditis (25% vs. 10%, p = .029) and central nervous system (CNS) involvement (30% vs. 14%, p = .029) were more common in cSLE. Conversely, in aSLE, ITP was solely associated with cutaneous and articular involvements (p < .05). Concerning treatment, intravenous methylprednisolone, intravenous immunoglobulin, blood transfusion and platelets transfusion were more frequently used in the cSLE population (p < .05).Conclusion: ITP at cSLE has distinct features compared to aSLE with a more severe presentation characterized by concomitant constitutional/reticuloendothelial manifestations, CNS involvement and hemorrhagic manifestation. These findings reinforce the need for a more aggressive treatment in this age group.

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

Background:Approximately 15–20% cases of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are diagnosed in children. There have been a few studies reporting the epidemiological data of pediatric-onset SLE (cSLE) in China, neither comparing the differences between cSLE and adult-onset SLE (aSLE). The aim of this study was to describe the impact of age of onset on clinical features and survival in cSLE patients in China based on the Chinese SLE Treatment and Research group (CSTAR) database.Methods:We made a prospective study of 225 cSLE patients (aged < 16 years) and 1759 patients aged 16–50 years based on CSTAR registry. We analyzed initial symptoms, clinical presentations, SLE disease activity, damages, and outcomes of cSLE, as well as compared with aSLE patients.Results:The mean age of cSLE patients was 12.16 ± 2.92 years, with 187 (83.1%) females. Fever (P < 0.001) as well as mucocutaneous (P < 0.001) and renal (P = 0.006) disorders were found to be significantly more frequent in cSLE patients as initial symptoms, while muscle and joint lesions were significantly less common compared to aSLE subjects (P < 0.001). The cSLE patients were found to present more frequently with malar rash (P = 0.001; odds ratio [OR], 0.624; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.470–0.829) but less frequently with arthritis (P < 0.001; OR, 2.013; 95% CI, 1.512–2.679) and serositis (P = 0.030; OR, 1.629; 95% CI, 1.053–2.520). There was no significant difference in SLE disease activity index scores between cSLE and aSLE groups (P = 0.478). Cox regression indicated that childhood onset was the risk factor for organ damage in lupus patients (hazard ratio 0.335 [0.170–0.658], P = 0.001). The survival curves between the cSLE and aSLE groups had no significant difference as determined by the log-rank test (0.557, P = 0.455).Conclusions:cSLE in China has different clinical features and more inflammation than aSLE patients. Damage may be less in children and there is no difference in 5- year survival between cSLE and aSLE groups.

Childhood versus adult-onset systemic lupus erythematosus: long-term outcome and predictors of mortality.

The aim of this study was to compare survival of childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (c-SLE) and adult-onset SLE (a-SLE) according to initial manifestations. This was a retrospective cohort study. All patients were categorized into c-SLE (≤18years) and a-SLE (>18years). The clinical and serological data at the time of diagnosis were recorded and compared. Kaplan-Meier curves were used to compare survival rates between the two groups. Predictors of mortality were obtained by a backward Cox regression. One hundred eighty patients with c-SLE and 394 patients with a-SLE were enrolled. The female/male ratio was higher in c-SLE (P=0.0001). Lupus nephritis (P=0.002) and valvular heart disease (P=0.025) were more common in c-SLE and a-SLE, respectively. In a 23-year follow-up, 20 patients (11.1%) with c-SLE and 35 patients (8.9%) with a-SLE died. Mortality was not significantly different between them (P=0.4). The main causes of death were nephritis (50% in c-SLE vs. 29% in a-SLE), infections (40% in c-SLE vs. 29% in a-SLE), and circulatory disease (10% in c-SLE vs. 37% in a-SLE). The difference was not significant (P=0.08). Cumulative survival rates after 5, 10, 15, and 20years were 91, 87, 85, and 78% in c-SLE and 93, 90, 90, and 83% in a-SLE, respectively. By multivariate analysis, seizure, proteinuria, and nephritis in c-SLE and seizure, hematuria, and pericarditis in a-SLE had negative prognostic effect on survival. Both c-SLE and a-SLE patients with seizure or renal involvement should be monitored more carefully to prevent ominous outcomes.

Autoimmune hemolytic anemia in systemic lupus erythematosus at diagnosis: differences between pediatric and adult patients.

Objective To determine the overall prevalence of autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA), and to compare clinical and laboratory features in a large population of children and adult lupus patients at diagnosis. Methods This retrospective study evaluated the medical charts of 336 childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (cSLE) and 1830 adult SLE (aSLE) patients followed in the same tertiary hospital. Demographic data, clinical features and disease activity were recorded. AIHA was defined according to the presence of anemia (hemoglobin <10 g/dL) and evidence of hemolysis (reticulocytosis and positive direct antiglobulin test (DAT)/Coombs test) at SLE diagnosis. Evans syndrome (ES) was defined by the combination of immune thrombocytopenia (platelet count <100,000/mm3) and AIHA. Results The frequency of AIHA at diagnosis was significantly higher in cSLE patients compared to aSLE (49/336 (14%) vs 49/1830 (3%), p = 0.0001), with similar frequency of ES (3/336 (0.9%) vs 10/1830 (0.5%), p = 0.438). The median of hemoglobin levels was reduced in cSLE vs aSLE patients (8.3 (2.2-10) vs 9.5 (6.6-10) g/dL, p = 0.002) with a higher frequency of multiple hemorrhagic manifestations (41% vs 7%, p = 0.041) and erythrocyte transfusion due to bleeding (24% vs 5%, p = 0.025). cSLE patients also had more often constitutional involvement (84% vs 31%, p < 0.001), fever (65% vs 26%, p < 0.001), weight loss > 2 kg (39% vs 6%, p < 0.001), reticuloendothelial manifestations (48% vs 8%, p < 0.001), hepatomegaly (25% vs 2%, p < 0.001) and splenomegaly (21% vs 2%, p = 0.004). Other major organ involvements were common but with similar frequencies in cSLE and aSLE ( p > 0.05). Median systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index 2000 (SLEDAI-2 K) was comparable in cSLE and aSLE (p = 0.161). Conclusions We identified that AIHA was not a common condition in cSLE and aSLE, with distinct features characterized by a higher prevalence/severity in children and concomitant constitutional symptoms in the majority of them.

Demographic Presentation, Activity Indices, Damage Index: Comparative Study Between Pediatric Lupus Erythematosus Versus Adult Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in Sample Egyptian Population

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex autoimmune disease that can affect all organ systems due to alterations of both the innate and adaptive immune systems. Although onset during infancy is rare, the incidence of SLE rises steadily during childhood until mid-adulthood, especially among females. In this study we aimed to highlight the possible discrepancies in clinical presentations as well as serological profiles of pediatric and adult onset SLE patients, we also focused attention on the disease assessment by SLE activity index (SLE DDI) and damage index at time of presentation. Subjects were subdivided into 2 groups: Group I: A total of 92 Pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus (pSLE) that were selected from the students attending the school children hospital of medical health insurance. Group II: A total of 90 adult systemic lupus erythematosus (aSLE) patients and were recruited from those attending the Alexandria Main University Hospital and outpatient clinic. All patients were subjected to: detailed history taking and complete physical and mental examination, also activity indices as well as damage index were applied for every lupus patient of the studied groups, laboratory investigations were done for all patients. Our results demonstrated that, regarding mucocutaneous manifestations: pSLE patients have values higher than aSLE patients regarding photosensitivity (63.3% and 61.1%) and vascular lesions (23.9% and 22.2%) respectively. Regarding haematological manifestations: pSLE patients have values higher than aSLE patients regarding anemia (86.96% and 84.4), leucopenia (28.3% and 22.22) and thrombocytopenia (46.7% and 25.56%) respectively. Regarding renal abnormalities, pSLE patients have higher incidence of nephritic syndrome than aSLE patients. Regarding SLEDAI, pSLE patients have values statistically higher than aSLE patients. Regarding SLAM, pSLE patients have values statistically higher than aSLE patients, while no differences of damage index was noticed.

Comparison of clinical and serological differences among juvenile-, adult-, and late-onset systemic lupus erythematosus in Korean patients

We investigated whether systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients could be distinguished based on the time of disease onset and, if so, whether the groups differed in their clinical and laboratory features in ethnically homogeneous Korean patients. We enrolled 201 SLE patients with available clinical data at the time of onset of SLE from the lupus cohort at Chonnam National University Hospital. Sociodemographic, clinical, and laboratory data, including autoantibodies, and concomitant diseases were found at the time of diagnosis of SLE by reviewing patient charts. We divided SLE patients according to age at SLE diagnosis into three groups: juvenile-onset SLE (JSLE, diagnosed at ≤ 18 years), adult-onset SLE (ASLE, diagnosed at 19-50 years), and late-onset SLE (LSLE, diagnosed at >50 years), and compared baseline demographic, clinical, and relevant laboratory findings. Of the 201 patients, 27 (14.4%), 149 (74.1%), and 25 (12.4%) were JSLE, ASLE, and LSLE patients, respectively. Fever, oral ulcers, nephritis, anemia, and thrombocytopenia were more common in JSLE patients than ASLE or LSLE patients (p < 0.05, < 0.05, 0.001, < 0.05, and < 0.05, respectively). However, Sjögren's syndrome was more frequent in LSLE patients than JSLE or ASLE patients (p < 0.05). Disease activity was significantly higher in JSLE patients than in ASLE or LSLE patients (p < 0.001). Anti-dsDNA and anti-nucleosome antibodies were found more frequently in JSLE patients and less frequently in LSLE patients (p < 0.05 and 0.005, respectively) and decreased complement levels were more common in JSLE patients and less common in LSLE patients (p < 0.001, 0.001, and < 0.05, respectively). Our results indicate that SLE patients present with different clinical and serological manifestations according to age at disease onset. JSLE patients have more severe disease activity and more frequent renal involvement and LSLE patients have milder disease activity, more commonly accompanied by Sjögren's syndrome, at disease onset.