Probable Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Research Articles

Differentiating between UCTD and early-stage SLE: from definitions to clinical approach.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease with heterogeneous clinical manifestations that can potentially affect every organ and system. SLE is usually identified on the basis of clinical or serological manifestations; however, some individuals can present with signs and symptoms that are consistent with SLE but are not sufficient for a definite diagnosis. Disease in these individuals can either progress over time to definite SLE or remain stable, in which case their disease is often described as intermediate, possible or probable SLE. Alternatively, such individuals might have undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD). Being able to differentiate between those with stable UCTD and those with SLE at an early stage is important to avoid irreversible target-organ damage from occurring. This Review provides insight into existing and evolving perceptions of the early stages of SLE, including clinical and mechanistic considerations, as well as potential paths towards early identification and intervention. Further research into the earliest phases of SLE will be important for the development of targeted diagnostic approaches and biomarkers for the identification of individuals with early disease who are likely to progress to definite SLE.

Profile of immunological markers in skin biopsies from patients with probable and confirmed systemic lupus erythematosus

The purpose of this study was to determine the profile of immunoreactants deposited in intact skin biopsies from the patients with confirmed and probable systemic lupus erythematosus. The study involved 94 patients who, along with a standard clinical and laboratory examination, underwent a biopsy of clinically healthy skin in the deltoid muscle area (lupus band test). The nature and combination of immune deposits in the skin, the strength of immunofluorescence, and the location were evaluated. In the patients with significant systemic lupus erythematosus (n = 56), lupus band test was positive in 60.7 % of the cases and correlated with disease activity according to SLEDAI 2K (p = 0.001). At the same time, the skin biopsy often revealed the immunoreactant IgM (85.3 %), the degree of fluorescence of which had direct correlations with the increased level of antibodies to dsDNA (p 0.05). In the examined patients with probable systemic lupus erythematosus, positive lupus band test was detected in 47 % of cases, and IgM was detected in 72.2% of patients, which brought them closer to the group of patients with confirmed systemic lupus erythematosus. However, 33.3% of patients with probable systemic lupus erythematosus had isolated deposits of any one immunoreactant, while the association of immunoreactants (IgM+IgG) and (IgM+IgG+C3) characteristic of confirmed systemic lupus erythematosus occurred in only 27.7 and 5.5% of cases, respectively. It should be noted that the C1q immunoreactant was detected in the skin biopsies with both confirmed (38.2%) and probable systemic lupus erythematosus (39%). The data obtained suggest that lupus band test with the presence of a specific pattern of immunoreactants can be used as an additional diagnostic test for the diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus.

A Multianalyte Assay Panel With Cell‐Bound Complement Activation Products Predicts Transition of Probable Lupus to American College of Rheumatology–Classified Lupus

ObjectiveTo evaluate the usefulness of biomarkers to predict the evolution of patients suspected of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), designated as probable SLE (pSLE), into classifiable SLE according to the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) classification criteria.MethodsPatients suspected of SLE were enrolled by lupus experts if they fulfilled three ACR criteria for SLE and were followed for approximately 1‐3 years to evaluate transition into ACR‐classifiable SLE. Individual cell‐bound complement activation products (CB‐CAPs), serum complement proteins (C3 and C4), and autoantibodies were measured by flow cytometry, turbidimetry, and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. Blood levels of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) were measured by mass spectrometry. A multianalyte assay panel (MAP), which includes CB‐CAPs, was also evaluated. A MAP of greater than 0.8 reflected the optimal cutoff for transition to SLE. Time to fulfillment of ACR criteria was evaluated by Kaplan‐Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazards model.ResultsOf the 92 patients with pSLE enrolled, 74 had one or two follow‐up visits 9‐35 months after enrollment for a total of 128 follow‐up visits. Overall, 28 patients with pSLE (30.4%) transitioned to ACR‐classifiable SLE, including 16 (57%) in the first year and 12 (43%) afterwards. A MAP score of greater than 0.8 at enrollment predicted transition to classifiable SLE during the follow‐up period (hazard ratio = 2.72; P = 0.012), whereas individual biomarkers or fulfillment of Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics criteria did not. HCQ therapy was not associated with the prevention of transition to SLE.ConclusionApproximately one‐third of patients with pSLE transitioned within the study period. MAP of greater than 0.8 predicted disease evolution into classifiable SLE.

Clinical and laboratory relationships in patients with different variants of the course of systemic lupus erythematosus

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is characterized by a variability in clinical manifestations and laboratory abnormalities, which creates objective diagnostic difficulties.Objective: to investigate clinical and laboratory parameters in patients with definite and probable SLE.Patients and methods. The investigation enrolled 94 patients, 38 of whom were diagnosed with probable SLE. All the patients underwent immunological examination and unaffected skin biopsies, followed by an immunohistochemical study, the so-called lupus strip test (LST).Results and discussion. The group of patients with definite SLE showed a direct correlation between positive LST and disease activity (r=0.6), acute skin lesion (r=0.42), and elevated anti-double-stranded DNA antibody concentrations (r=0.37), and their inverse correlation with dry syndrome (r=-0.44). In patients with probable SLE, deposition of immunoreactants in the unaffected skin was detected in almost half of the cases, despite lower disease activity and specific antibody deficiency. Thus, LST that is quite easy to use and interpret its results can be used as an additional criterion for the differential diagnosis of SLE, especially in its early stages.

Complement Activation in Patients With Probable Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Ability to Predict Progression to American College of Rheumatology-Classified Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the frequency of cell‐bound complement activation products (CB‐CAPs) as a marker of complement activation in patients with suspected systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and the usefulness of this biomarker as a predictor of the evolution of probable SLE into SLE as classified by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria.MethodsPatients in whom SLE was suspected by lupus experts and who fulfilled 3 ACR classification criteria for SLE (probable SLE) were enrolled, along with patients with established SLE as classified by both the ACR and the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) criteria, patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS), and patients with other rheumatic diseases. Individual CB‐CAPs were measured by flow cytometry, and positivity rates were compared to those of commonly assessed biomarkers, including serum complement proteins (C3 and C4) and autoantibodies. The frequency of a positive multianalyte assay panel (MAP), which includes CB‐CAPs, was also evaluated. Probable SLE cases were followed up prospectively.ResultsThe 92 patients with probable SLE were diagnosed more recently than the 53 patients with established SLE, and their use of antirheumatic medications was lower. At the enrollment visit, more patients with probable SLE were positive for CB‐CAPs (28%) or MAP (40%) than had low complement levels (9%) (P = 0.0001 for each). In probable SLE, MAP scores of >0.8 at enrollment predicted fulfillment of a fourth ACR criterion within 18 months (hazard ratio 3.11, P < 0.01).ConclusionComplement activation occurs in some patients with probable SLE and can be detected with higher frequency by evaluating CB‐CAPs and MAP than by assessing traditional serum complement protein levels. A MAP score above 0.8 predicts transition to classifiable SLE according to ACR criteria.

Screening characteristics for enrichment of individuals at higher risk for transitioning to classified SLE.

Further prospective study is needed to elucidate the etiology and natural history of systemic lupus erythematosus development. The clinical complexity of this heterogeneous disease makes study design challenging. Our objective was to ascertain useful screening factors for identifying at-risk individuals for follow-up rheumatologic assessment or inclusion in prospective studies. We attempted to re-contact 3823 subjects with a family history of systemic lupus erythematosus, who did not meet American College of Rheumatology systemic lupus erythematosus classification at a baseline study visit; 436 agreed to follow-up participation an average of 6.3 years after baseline. In total, 56 of these individuals had transitioned to classified systemic lupus erythematosus (≥ 4 cumulative American College of Rheumatology criteria, verified by medical record review) by the time of follow up. Generalized estimating equations assessed associations between our dichotomous outcome of transitioning to systemic lupus erythematosus with baseline characteristics, including ANA positivity, Connective Tissue Disease Screening questionnaire systemic lupus erythematosus score, and number of American College of Rheumatology criteria. We analyzed predictive accuracy of characteristics on transitioning. ANA positivity, Connective Tissue Disease Screening questionnaire systemic lupus erythematosus score categorization of possible or probable systemic lupus erythematosus, and greater number of American College of Rheumatology criteria at baseline were each associated with transitioning to systemic lupus erythematosus classification. Being ANA positive and having confirmed immunologic criteria at baseline had the highest positive predictive value and specificity for transitioning to systemic lupus erythematosus. American College of Rheumatology Connective Tissue Disease Screening questionnaire systemic lupus erythematosus score categorization of possible or probable systemic lupus erythematosus had a better positive predictive value, negative predictive value, sensitivity, and specificity than ANA positivity. Given limited resources, identifying individuals for follow up based on the systemic lupus erythematosus portion of the Connective Tissue Disease Screening questionnaire could be an efficient way to identify family members at highest risk of disease transition.

Distinctive lupus panniculitis of scalp with linear alopecia along Blaschko's lines: a review of the literature

Lupus panniculitis of the scalp (LPS) is a rare and distinctive clinical feature of lupus erythematosus panniculitis (LEP) with linear alopecia along Blaschko's lines. In this study, we investigated clinical features and treatments of LPS by literature review of articles in the English language from PubMed and SCOPUS databases up to April 2018. The following key words, "lupus panniculitis, "lupus erythematosus panniculitis", "lupus profundus", "head", and "scalp", were used. Twenty cases of LPS were identified (mean age=26.4 [10-53] years, female: male ratio=1:1, mean disease duration=86.89 [8-336] weeks). The most commonly affected areas of scalp included parietal (70%), frontal (45%), temporal (40%), occipital (30%), and vertex (10%), along 70% of Blaschko's lines with morphologic lesions linear, annular, arch-shaped, and ulcer. Besides, ANA (60%) was in particular noted. Hydroxychloroquine, oral prednisolone, intralesional corticosteroid, and methotrexate were the most common treatments, with complete response after an average period of 8.08 (2-12) weeks. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) was developed in four cases (20%) during follow-up, with high recurrence of 35%. We reported distinctive and rare cases of LPS.The continuing follow-up was highly recommended to avoid probable recurrence and SLE development.

Spontaneous non-obstructive nephropleural fistula with an autoimmune disorder causing massive urinothorax: a rare association

Urinothorax, an unusual and rare cause of pleural effusion, is usually secondary to urinary obstruction and abdominal trauma. We describe an uncommon case of left-sided urinothorax in a 35-year-old man...

Diagnosis and Management of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Case Report

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multisystem inflammatory disease with a broad clinical presentation, which is principally difficult to diagnose across the emergency departments (EDs). The immune system of the body in this disease mistakenly damages or attacks healthy tissues. Majority of the patients suffering from SLE tend to develop “secondary heart disease” once in a while throughout the course of their primary illness. This study aimed to report a case of a previously healthy 9-year-old Saudi female who presented with rheumatic fever and congestive heart failure accompanied by productive cough, chest, abdomen, and back pain. A 9-year-old Saudi female was presented to the emergency department with a history of progressive rheumatic fever, iron deficiency anemia, and pain in chest with productive cough. Examination revealed that patient felt extremely ill, pale, afebrile, with a loss of appetite, tachycardic, high grade fever (39 °C), tachypneic, and a peripheral oxygen saturation of 95% on 40% supplemented oxygen” with low blood pressure 105/70 was noted. The patient was assumed to be diagnosed with probable SLE. We started our patient on methylprednisolone, omeprazole, and prednisolon and noticed sustained improvements. Multisystemic and acute life-threatening conditions should arise the suspicion of autoimmune diseases, predominantly SLE in the ED. SLE treatment shall be planned separately with consideration to utilize the “best-suited therapy” for targeting the organ systems affected. Lack of an explicit biological marker, disease heterogeneity, as well as absence of a specific outcome measurement for improvement makes this procedure harder. J Med Cases. 2017;8(5):163-166 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/jmc2782w

Malignant cerebral edema related to Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

BackgroundThe neurological manifestations of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) are varied and incompletely described. A few case series report a benign idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) related to SLE, which is responsive to immunotherapy. There are limited reports of patients with malignant cerebral edema, and diffuse white matter changes in the absence of central nervous system (CNS) vasculitis. MethodsCase series from our tertiary care center and review of the relevant literature. ResultsCase one was a 32year-old woman admitted with nausea, vomiting and cranial nerve palsies. Serology was significant for a diagnosis of probable SLE. MRI was performed and showed bilateral symmetric diffuse T2/FLAIR hyperintensities throughout the white matter and cerebral angiography was unremarkable. The patient developed recalcitrant cerebral edema with intracranial hypertension despite immunosuppressive therapies and subsequently expired. Post mortem evaluation showed a white matter inflammatory process, but no vascular changes consistent with CNS vasculitis. Case two was a 29year-old woman with known SLE that presented with a loss of consciousness. Imaging included a CT that showed diffuse cerebral edema with white matter involvement and a normal cerebral angiogram. Again, despite maximal medical management the patient herniated resulting in death by neurologic criteria. ConclusionsThese two cases represent a syndrome of white matter changes and diffuse cerebral edema associated with SLE that have yet to be reported in the literature. It is unclear if this process has a similar pathology to SLE related IIH. Because this syndrome causes a fulminant cerebral edema, further research is needed to better understand the underlying pathology and identify potential treatment options.

Probable systemic lupus erythematosus with cell-bound complement activation products (CB-CAPS)

Complement activation is a key feature of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Detection of cell-bound complement activation products (CB-CAPS) occurs more frequently than serum hypocomplementemia in definite lupus. We describe a patient with normocomplementemic probable SLE who did not fulfill ACR classification criteria for lupus, but the diagnosis was supported by the presence of CB-CAPS.

The Risk of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Associated With Vaccines: An International Case‐Control Study

Studies have suggested that systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) may be triggered by vaccinations. We undertook this study to investigate the relationship between vaccination and onset of SLE. This international case-control study was conducted between April 2008 and June 2012 in 36 specialist referral centers (34 in France and 2 in Quebec, Canada) and recruited patients ≤60 years old recently diagnosed as having either definite SLE (meeting ≥4 American College of Rheumatology [ACR] criteria including at least 1 immunologic criterion) or probable SLE (meeting 3 ACR criteria including at least 1 immunologic criterion). Controls were recruited from general practice settings through a closely monitored protocol and matched to patients by age, sex, region of residence, and date of recruitment. Vaccinations and other potential risk factors for SLE were assessed using a standardized telephone interview. We compared proportions of patients and controls who were vaccinated 12 and 24 months before the index date (date of first clinical symptom presented by the patient) using odds ratios (ORs) from conditional logistic regression. We assessed 105 patients (89 with definite SLE and 16 with probable SLE) and 712 controls. Twenty-two of the 105 patients (21.0%) and 181 of the 712 controls (25.4%) had received at least 1 vaccination within 24 months before the index date (adjusted OR 0.9 [95% confidence interval 0.5-1.5]). The proportions of patients and controls vaccinated within the previous 12 months were also similar. Our study showed no association between exposure to vaccination and risk of developing SLE.

Impact of Early Versus Late Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Diagnosis on Clinical and Economic Outcomes

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multisystem complex autoimmune disease that often mimics symptoms of other illnesses, which complicates the ability of healthcare providers to make the diagnosis. The objective of this study was to assess clinical outcomes, resource utilization, and costs between patients with earlier versus later SLE diagnosis. Patients aged 18-64years were identified from a large US commercial claims database between January 2000 and June 2010. Confirmed SLE diagnosis with a claims-based algorithm required either three or more claims for a visit to a rheumatologist on separate dates with an SLE diagnosis (International Classification of Diseases [ICD-9] code 710.0x), two or more claims for visits to a rheumatologist at least 60days apart with SLE diagnoses, or two or more claims for visits to rheumatologist less than 60days apart with SLE diagnoses with at least one dispensing for a typical SLE medication. SLE probable onset date was identified during the 12-month baseline period by the second claim for antinuclear antibody tests or prodromal symptoms of SLE. Patients were stratified into early or late diagnosis groups based on time between probable SLE onset and diagnosis (<6months or ≥6months, respectively). Each patient observation period began on the date of the first medical claim, with a diagnosis code for SLE that satisfied the inclusion criteria, and ended on the earliest date between health plan disenrollment and 30 June 2010. Patients in each group were propensity-score matched on age, gender, diagnosis year, region, health plan type, and comorbidities. Flare rates and resource utilization were compared post-diagnosis between groups using rate ratios. All-cause and SLE-related costs (adjusted to 2010 US dollars) per patient per month (PPPM) were calculated. There were 4,166 matched patients per group. Post-SLE diagnosis, the early diagnosis group had lower rates of mild (rate ratio [RR]0.95; 95% CI 0.93-0.96), moderate (RR0.96; 95% CI 0.94-0.99), and severe (RR0.87; 95% CI 0.82-0.93) flares compared with the late diagnosis group. The rates of hospitalizations (RR0.80; 95% CI 0.75-0.85) were lower for the early diagnosis group than the late diagnosis group. Compared with late diagnosis patients, mean all-cause inpatient costs PPPM were lower for the early diagnosis patients (US$406 vs. US$486; p=0.016). Corresponding SLE-related hospitalization costs were also lower for early compared with late diagnosis patients (US$71 vs. US$95; p=0.013). Results were consistent for other resource use and cost categories. Patients diagnosed with SLE sooner may experience lower flare rates, less healthcare utilization, and lower costs from a commercially insured population perspective. This finding needs to be further explored within the context of background SLE disease activity.

A case of systemic lupus erythematosus presenting with an acute abdomen: successful treatment with steroid.

Abdominal pain continues to pose diagnostic challenges for emergency clinicians. A 56-year-old Japanese woman was referred to our hospital due to severe abdominal pain which presented as occasional epigastric pain five months before and intermittent abdominal pain. She had a past history of ileus twice, for both of which laparotomy was performed without an alimentary tract resection. The wall thickening with marked three-wall structure from terminal ileum to sigmoid colon was seen and bladder wall was irregularly thick and enhanced irregularly. Among the differential diagnosis of the acute abdomen, autoimmune diseases were suspected, especially lupus erythematosus and Henoch-Schönlein purpura. On the second day of admission, abdominal pain worsened. The results of examinations of antinuclear antibody, anti-double-stranded DNA antibody, ANCA, and the complements were not obtained at that time; however, we started 1-g steroid pulse treatment for three days with success. With the results obtained later, the patient was given a diagnosis of probable systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The present case shows that SLE can present with acute abdomen and should be included in the wide range of the differential diagnosis of acute abdomen.

The spectrum of ASIA: ‘Autoimmune (Auto-inflammatory) Syndrome induced by Adjuvants’

Physicians are often puzzled by enigmatic medical conditions or the abrupt appearance of an immune-mediated disease. Such a story was recently presented to us by a young Sheikh. A Saudi Sheikh, who suffered at the age of 27 from joints pains, rash and serological evidence of antiRo antibodies, was diagnosed with probable systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) at that time. He was treated with Plaquenil for a year, but as no signs of SLE were apparent, treatment was stopped and he remained disease free for the next 12 years. At the age of 39 years, 2 weeks after immunization with the flu vaccine, his disease reemerged. This time he presented with severe arthritis and pericarditis, which required treatment with high doses of

Review for the generalist: The antinuclear antibody test in children - When to use it and what to do with a positive titer

The antinuclear antibody test (ANA) is a much overused test in pediatrics. The ANA does have a role in serologic testing but it should be a very limited one. It is often ordered as a screening test for rheumatic illnesses in a primary care setting. However, since it has low specificity and sensitivity for most rheumatic and musculoskeletal illnesses in children, it should not be ordered as a screening test for non-specific complaints such as musculoskeletal pain. It should only be used as a diagnostic test for children with probable Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) or Mixed Connective Tissue Disease, (MCTD) and other possible overlap-like illnesses. Such children should have developed definite signs and symptoms of a disease before the ANA is ordered. This review presents data supporting these conclusions and a review of the ANA literature in adults and children.By limiting ANA testing, primary care providers can avoid needless venipuncture pain, unnecessary referrals, extra medical expenses, and most importantly, significant parental anxieties. It is best not to do the ANA test in most children but if it ordered and is positive in a low titer (<1:640), the results can be ignored if the child is otherwise well and does not have other features of a systemic illness.

Pararenal retroperitoneal Castleman’s disease mimicking systemic lupus erythematosus

A 41-year-old man diagnosed initially as probable systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) visited our hospital complaining of a persistent painful oral ulcer and multiple spots like coffee beans on his trunk. Antibodies except for anti-dsDNA and anti-histone antibodies and other serologies were negative. Conventional cytotoxic and immunomodulatory agents did not have any effect on these lesions. Computed tomography for evaluating persistent dry cough incidentally showed a huge mass in the left mid-retroperitoneum. Surgical treatment was done and the final diagnosis was Castleman's disease (CD). CD is a relatively rare disorder characterized by a massive non-malignant tumor of lymphoid tissues, with unknown etiology. It commonly presents as a localized soft tissue mass within the mediastinum or neck, and rarely in the retroperitoneal space. Since some cases of CD may share systemic, immune and histopathologic features of autoimmune disease, exact diagnosis is difficult to make based on the clinical and laboratory clues alone. We report herein an unusual case with pararenal retroperitoneal CD mimicking SLE.

Genetic Variation in C-Reactive Protein (CRP) Gene May Be Associated with Risk of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and CRP Concentrations

The gene coding for C-reactive protein (CRP) is located on chromosome 1q23.2, which falls within a linkage region thought to harbor a systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) susceptibility gene. Recently, 2 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in the CRP gene (+838, +2043) have been shown to be associated with CRP concentrations and/or SLE risk in a British family-based cohort. Our study was done to confirm the reported association in an independent population-based case-control cohort, and also to investigate the influence of 3 additional CRP tagSNP (-861, -390, +90) on SLE risk and serum CRP concentrations. DNA from 337 Caucasian women who met the American College of Rheumatology criteria for definite (n = 324) or probable (n = 13) SLE and 448 Caucasian healthy female controls was genotyped for 5 CRP tagSNP (-861, -390, +90, +838, +2043). Genotyping was performed using restriction fragment length polymorphism-polymerase chain reaction, pyrosequencing, or TaqMan assays. Serum CRP levels were measured using ELISA. Association studies were performed using the chi-squared distribution, Z-test, Fisher's exact test, and analysis of variance. Haplotype analysis was performed using EH software and the haplo.stats package in R 2.1.2. While none of the SNP were found to be associated with SLE risk individually, there was an association with the 5 SNP haplotypes (p < 0.001). Three SNP (-861, -390, +90) were found to significantly influence serum CRP level in SLE cases, both independently and as haplotypes. Our data suggest that unique haplotype combinations in the CRP gene may modify the risk of developing SLE and influence circulating CRP levels.

Assessment of strategies for identifying diagnosed cases of systemic lupus erythematosus through self-report.

The objective of this work was to assess the optimal way to identify potential systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) cases in large epidemiologic studies through self-reported information about diagnosis of SLE, symptoms and medications, and to investigate the utility of a criteria checklist sent directly to participants' physicians. We used data collected in 1997 from 53322 participants in a study of African-American women, the Black Women's Health Study, including a lupus screening questionnaire (LSQ) and questions about SLE diagnosis and medications. We confirmed self-reported SLE through medical records and criteria checklists sent to participants' physicians. Among those for whom we received medical records and/or criteria checklists, we compared the predictive value and proportion of missed cases of several algorithms using combinations of self-reported SLE diagnosis, LSQ score and medication use to self-reported SLE diagnosis alone. We obtained a physician checklist or medical chart for 251 individuals who reported SLE, of whom 212 (84%) fulfilled ACR criteria for definite or probable SLE, or had clinical lupus (SLE diagnosis recorded in medical charts plus appropriate medication use). The use of LSQ score or medication use in addition to self-report of SLE tended to decrease the false positive rate but also to reduce the proportion of true cases identified. Checklists of ACR criteria completed by subjects' physicians documented more criteria than medical records. In conclusion, among participants who consented to medical record review, SLE prediction algorithms using questions about lupus symptoms and medications offered slightly higher predictive value for detecting cases than self-reported diagnosis alone, but at the cost of case detection. SLE case confirmation strategies can be complemented by the use of criteria checklists sent directly to participants' physicians.

Prevalence of hepatitis C in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus in the Hospital of Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (HUCCF)

Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are at risk for the acquisition of hepatitis C, owing to frequent hospitalization and hemotransfusion. Many clinical and laboratory manifestations related to auto-immunity are shared between Lupus and HCV infected patients. To determine the prevalence of hepatitis C in the population with SLE monitored in the out-patient service of the special programs in--Collagenoses--of the University Hospital Clementino Fraga Filho (HUCFF-UFRJ). A Cross sectional study was performed, including 91 patients with the diagnosis of probable or definitive SLE (with 3 or more of the 11 diagnostic criteria for SLE used by the American College of Rheumatology-ACR) proceeding from the mentioned center between April/97 to September/97. Patients were evaluated on clinical and laboratory basis to determine activity of lupus disease (SLEDAI). All of patients were tested with UBI HCVEIA 4.0 assay and INNO-LIAHCV AbIII confirmatory assay. PCR was performed on all EIA positive INNO-LIAHCV AbIII assay positive patients besides 32 patients negatives in both serological assays. A significative increase in HCV prevalence among SLE patients was observed when compared with a control group of blood donors at HUCFF-UFRJ (6.6 and 1.39%, respectively; p = 0.02 and confidence interval of 95% = 5.5-13.8). However, if confirmative assays (INNO-LIA HCV ABIII and PCR) are used, this difference can not be observed any more HCV prevalence of 2.2% with confidence interval of 95% = 0.2-7.7). HCV prevalence using ELISA assay for screening showed a significant difference between SLE patients and a blood donors control group (6.6 and 1.39% respectively). However, if confirmatory assays are subsequently applied, no difference in HCV prevalence among both groups can be observed. Patients with a possible diagnosis of SLE should have a cost/benefit analysis of testing for HCV.