Clinical manifestations and laboratory findings in patients with lupus anticoagulants

Clinical and laboratory features were evaluated in 48 patients with lupus anticoagulants and the efficiency of three different assays in the detection of lupus anticoagulants was compared. The diagnosis of lupus anticoagulants was based on a prolonged activated partial thromboplastin test not corrected in a mixture of 1:1 with normal plasma and lack of specific inhibitors against coagulation factors. Platelet neutralization procedure was positive for lupus anticoagulants in 98% of the patients, tissue thromboplastin inhibition ratio in 79%, and kaolin clotting time index in 77%. At least one of the assays was positive in 100% of the cases. The largest minority of the patients (31%) suffered from systemic lupus erythematosus. The others had a variety of non-immunological disorders. In the 13 patients who had been operated on, only 1 with renal failure developed hemorrhagic complications after renal biopsy due to thrombocytopathy. The incidence of recurrent spontaneous miscarriage, immune thrombocytopenia and positive direct antiglobulin test, anti-nuclear and anti-DNA antibodies and VDRL was significantly higher in patients with lupus anticoagulants and systemic lupus erythematosus compared to patients with lupus anticoagulants but without systemic lupus erythematosus.     

Clinical manifestations and clinical syndromes of Filipino patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

The aim of this study was to describe the presenting clinical manifestations and syndromes of Filipino patients on diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We performed a retrospective review of medical records of Filipino SLE patients included in the lupus database of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) in Manila, Philippines. All patients fulfilled the American College of Rheumatology criteria for SLE. The following data were recorded: (1) demographic profile, (2) clinical manifestations on SLE diagnosis, and (3) clinical syndromes prior to and during fulfillment of diagnostic criteria for SLE and disease interval from diagnosis of a clinical syndrome to SLE diagnosis. Clinical data of 1,070 patients entered into the UST lupus database as of October 2005 were analyzed. The average age at SLE diagnosis was 28.5 ± 11.5 (range 5–71) years, with 1,025 female and 45 male subjects. The most common presenting manifestation was arthritis (68%), followed by malar rash (49%), renal involvement (47%), photosensitivity (33%), and oral ulcers (33%). The following clinical syndromes were recorded prior to or during SLE diagnosis: nephrotic syndrome (30%), undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD) (22%), autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) (6%), and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) (6%). Among these, AIHA preceded the diagnosis of SLE at the longest interval (20.3 ± 30.6, range 1–194 months). In this large database of Filipino patients with SLE, the most common presenting manifestation was arthritis, with renal involvement occurring in almost 50%. Among the clinical syndromes, nephrotic syndrome was the most common, whereas AIHA recorded the longest interval preceding SLE diagnosis, at an average of 20.3 months. Our findings are similar to data from other countries and emphasize the broad range of manifestations of SLE. The findings also reinforce the need to establish and maintain SLE databases to enhance awareness, early diagnosis, and more efficient management of the disease.     

Clinical manifestations and clinical syndromes of Filipino patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

Abstract

The aim of this study was to describe the presenting clinical manifestations and syndromes of Filipino patients on diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We performed a retrospective review of medical records of Filipino SLE patients included in the lupus database of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) in Manila, Philippines. All patients fulfilled the American College of Rheumatology criteria for SLE. The following data were recorded: (1) demographic profile, (2) clinical manifestations on SLE diagnosis, and (3) clinical syndromes prior to and during fulfillment of diagnostic criteria for SLE and disease interval from diagnosis of a clinical syndrome to SLE diagnosis. Clinical data of 1,070 patients entered into the UST lupus database as of October 2005 were analyzed. The average age at SLE diagnosis was 28.5 ± 11.5 (range 5–71) years, with 1,025 female and 45 male subjects. The most common presenting manifestation was arthritis (68%), followed by malar rash (49%), renal involvement (47%), photosensitivity (33%), and oral ulcers (33%). The following clinical syndromes were recorded prior to or during SLE diagnosis: nephrotic syndrome (30%), undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD) (22%), autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) (6%), and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) (6%). Among these, AIHA preceded the diagnosis of SLE at the longest interval (20.3 ± 30.6, range 1–194 months). In this large database of Filipino patients with SLE, the most common presenting manifestation was arthritis, with renal involvement occurring in almost 50%. Among the clinical syndromes, nephrotic syndrome was the most common, whereas AIHA recorded the longest interval preceding SLE diagnosis, at an average of 20.3 months. Our findings are similar to data from other countries and emphasize the broad range of manifestations of SLE. The findings also reinforce the need to establish and maintain SLE databases to enhance awareness, early diagnosis, and more efficient management of the disease.     

Clinical and immunological manifestations in 134 Puerto Rican patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

To gain a better understanding of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in Puerto Ricans we studied the clinical and serologic manifestations in a cohort of 134 patients. The female to male ratio was 18:1. Mean age at diagnosis was 32 +/- 12 y. The mean duration of disease and follow-up were 7.4 +/- 6.0 and 5.8 +/- 6.0 years respectively. Mortality was 3%. Photosensitivity (76.9%) and malar rash (71.9%) were the most common clinical manifestations. Arthritis was observed in 67.5% of patients. Anemia was seen in 67.2% of patients, but only 12.7% had autoimmune hemolytic anemia. Leukopenia (41.8%) and lymphopenia (64.9%) were also common. Serositis was observed in only 28%. Severe kidney damage such as nephrotic syndrome (14.2%) or renal failure (4%) was infrequent. Cardiovascular (12.7%) and neurologic (9.0%) manifestations were also uncommon. Antinuclear antibodies (ANA) were detected in 93.3%, anti-dsDNA antibodies in 54.5%, anti-Ro antibodies in 30.1% and anti-La antibodies in 14.2%. Low C3 and low C4 were observed in 38.3% and 35.7% respectively. This study suggests that Puerto Ricans with SLE present a mild form of disease predominantly manifested by cutaneous, musculoskeletal and hematologic involvement, but low prevalence of major organ damage and low mortality.     

未成年与成人系统性红斑狼疮的临床及实验室检查特点

目的 了解未成年与成人系统性红斑狼疮的差异,为临床诊治及科研提供更多的线索和依据.方法 采用回顾性研究,将182例未成年SLE患者同2073例成人SLE患者进行对照分析,包括二者间的临床表现、实验室检查指标、疾病的治疗结局及其影响因素等.结果 与成人患者比较,未成年患者性别差异小,心动过速、蝶形红斑和光过敏的检出率及抗URNP抗体、抗Rib抗体、抗核抗体的检出阳性率高,但高舒张压、关节痛及胸膜炎的检出率及抗ds-DNA抗体、C反应蛋白检出阳性率低.与未成年治疗结局有关的指标有心动过速、体温升高、精神病、脑神经受损、发病情况等五项,与成人治疗结局有关的指标涉及发病及诊断、临床表现、化验检查等24项.结论 未成年的临床表现与实验室检查与成人存在一定的差别,影响未成年sLE治疗结局的危险因素相对成人较少.     

Procainamide-induced lupus erythematosus. Clinical and laboratory observations

Procainamide hydrochloride in conventional doses can elicit a syndrome closely resembling systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The most frequent symptoms are polyarthralgia, myalgia, fever and pleurisy. Renal disease is notably absent. Conventional serologic tests give results similar to those in SLE except that serum complement is not decreased. A photodynamically induced complex between deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and procainamide is described which may be useful as a pathogenetic model. By a globulin precipitation method, patients with procainamide-induced lupus appear to have anti-body to denatured DNA and nucleohistone, but in contrast to idiopathic SLE, have little or no antibody to native DNA.     

Clinical manifestations of human T lymphotropic virus type I-infected patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

OBJECTIVE: Human T lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) may be associated with some connective tissue autoimmune diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). To determine the relationship between HTLV-I infection and SLE, we examined the clinical manifestations of SLE patients with HTLV-I infection. METHODS: Eighty-nine patients with SLE were screened for antibodies to HTLV-I by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. The presence of HTLV-I proviral sequences in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) was determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) quantification and Southern blotting analysis. The differences in clinical manifestations between HTLV-I-seropositive and seronegative patients with SLE were analyzed statistically. RESULTS: Fourteen of 89 (15.7%) patients were HTLV-I seropositive. All PBMC samples from 11 patients tested by PCR and 3 samples from 10 patients tested by Southern blotting analysis were positive for HTLV-I-related sequences. The age of HTLV-I-seropositive patients with SLE was significantly higher than that of seronegative patients (median 60 vs 42 yrs; p < 0.0005). The age at onset of SLE in HTLV-I-seropositive patients was also significantly higher than that of seronegative patients (median 45.5 vs 30 yrs; p <0.0005). The lymphocyte count in HTLV-I-seropositive SLE patients was significantly higher than that of seronegative patients (median 1740 vs 1066/microl; p = 0.027). The maintenance dose of prednisolone in HTLV-I-seropositive patients with SLE was significantly lower than that in seronegative patients (median 5 vs 9 mg/day; p = 0.012). CONCLUSION: This is the first report of the differences in clinical manifestations between SLE patients with and without HTLV-I infection. Our results suggest some involvement of HTLV-I in the pathogenesis of SLE.     

系统性红斑狼疮合并肿瘤患者的临床特点及危险因素分析

分析系统性红斑狼疮(SLE)合并肿瘤患者的临床特点及危险因素。选2010年10月至2019年2月郑州大学第一附属医院住院的SLE患者138例,SLE合并肿瘤患者69例,分析其临床特点、既往治疗及危险因素。结果显示,SLE合并肿瘤者,最常见的肿瘤为宫颈癌(21.74%,15/69)和甲状腺癌(21.74%,15/69)。SLE合并肿瘤者中,年龄以40~50岁多见,SLE诊断年龄以40~50岁多见,SLE病程以60~120个月为主。SLE者年龄以20~30岁多见,SLE诊断年龄以20~30岁多见,SLE病程以<12个月为主。两者既往使用糖皮质激素、环磷酰胺、甲氨蝶呤、硫唑嘌呤的比例差异均无统计学意义(P>0.05);SLE者既往使用羟氯喹的比例高于SLE合并肿瘤者,差异有统计学意义(P<0.01)。多因素分析显示,SLE病程(OR=4.25,95%CI 1.79~10.01,P<0.001)、羟氯喹(OR=0.26,95%CI 0.12~0.59,P<0.001)与肿瘤风险有相关性。SLE病程长可能是SLE发生肿瘤的危险因素,羟氯喹可能是保护性因素。     

Clinical neuropsychiatric and neuromuscular manifestations in systemic lupus erythematosus

Thirty patients with SLE were studied retrospectively and subjected to clinical neurological examination. The accumulated neurological manifestations from the beginning of the disease until the time of examination were thus collected. Twenty-five patients (83%) had experienced neuropsychiatric manifestations while 11 patients (37%) had neuromuscular manifestations. The most frequent single symptom was migraine which had occurred in 40% of the patients. This was followed by severe protracted headache in 20%, vertigo in 20%, and psychiatric problems in 17%. Carpal tunnel syndrome and muscular weakness both occurring in 23% of the patients were the most prevalent neuromuscular manifestations, followed by myositis in 10%.     

Clinical characteristics and risk factors of infections in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

To investigate the clinical characteristics of infection in SLE patients and analyze the risk factors of infection. A retrospective analysis method was used and the data were collected from 173 case times of 142 hospitalized patients. We found the incidence rate of infections in SLE was 50.7%. The most common infection sites were lungs, followed by upper respiratory tracts and urinary tracts. The most common pathogens were bacteria, followed by fungi. The infection-associated risk factors were duration of hospitalization, lupus activity state, the use of high-dose corticosteroids and immunosuppressive agents, the low serum level of complements 3 and 4 (C3 and C4), fever, the high level of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP), the abnormality of white blood cell (<?4?×?10⁹/L or >?10?×?10⁹/L), and the low level of albumin (P?<?0.05 or P?<?0.001). The independent risk factors for SLE patients with infection consist of the abnormality of white blood cells, the high level of CRP, the low serum level of C4, and longtime hospitalization. Attention should be paid to the risk factors of infection, and treatment to enhance immunity should be carried out to reduce the chance of infection.     

Psychiatric manifestations in patients with dysautonomy associated with systemic lupus erythematosus

The psychiatric manifestations of three patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and neuropathic dysautonomic processes are described. All patients had a severe form of SLE with neurological, renal, articular, pulmonary or haematological manifestations. All three have two types of psychiatric manifestations: (1) a chronic and progressive depression and (2) a complex dissociative disorder during the acute episodes of postural hypotension. A provocative test with SPECT with 99mTc-HmPAO to be done during the episode of orthostatic hypotension may contribute to clinical assessment of complex changes in cerebral regional perfusion.     

Chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus (DLE)--a clinical and laboratory investigation of 80 patients.

Clinical and laboratory data are presented from a study of a group of 80 patients with chronic cutaneous discoid lupus erythematosus. These data support the contention that if one selects patients with chronic scarring DLE who have no evidence by history or physical examination of extracutaneous involvement, then only a small percentage of patients will have detectable immunologic derangements. It is apparent that the clinical expression of lupus erythematosus depends, in part, upon the nature of the host's immune response.     

Unusual eye manifestations in systemic lupus erythematosus patients

Summary One hundred and twelve records of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus were reviewed and four cases with unusual ocular manifestations are described. We found that anterior uveitis is not an uncommon manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus and physicians must be aware of it during the patient's evaluation, since it can be treated without serious visual loss. Optic neuritis is uncommon in systemic lupus erythematosus and visual loss may be permanent despite therapy.     

系统性红斑狼疮脑病36例临床分析

目的研究系统性红斑狼疮脑病患者临床表现特点。方法分析、归纳2000-01-01~2004-10-10中日友好医院神经内科36例系统性红斑狼疮脑病患者症状、体征、辅助检查。结果36例系统性红斑狼疮脑病患者主诉症状9类,其中头痛、意识障碍、肢体无力居发生率前3位;发现体征13类,其中病理反射、意识障碍、肢体瘫痪居前3位。结论(1)系统性红斑狼疮脑病是活动性系统性红斑狼疮的表现之一。(2)系统性红斑狼疮患者无论病史长短,均可发生系统性红斑狼疮脑病。(3)系统性红斑狼疮脑病表现复杂多样。     

Clinical characteristics and outcomes of diffuse alveolar hemorrhage in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

ObjectiveTo identify the clinical characteristics of diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH) compared to other types of acute diffuse lung infiltration in SLE patients, and the factors associated with mortality in these patients.MethodsWe studied a retrospective cohort including SLE patients with acute diffuse lung infiltration on thoracic CT between January 2004 and August 2014. We divided them into 2 groups, a DAH and a non-DAH group, and compared the clinical characteristics and outcomes in the 2 groups. We also evaluated the risk factors for mortality in SLE patients with diffuse lung infiltration.ResultsOf 47 patients with diffuse lung infiltration, 24 patients (51.1%) satisfied the criteria for DAH and the remaining 23 patients (48.9%) were assigned to the non-DAH group. There were no significant differences between the demographic features of the 2 groups. However, decreased hemoglobin (OR = 3.46; 95% CI: 1.38–8.67; p < 0.01) and C4 (OR = 1.21; 95% CI: 1.03–1.42; p = 0.02) levels, and presence of hypoxia (OR = 23.09; 95% CI: 1.47–365.34; p = 0.03) at the time of diagnosis were associated with SLE-DAH. In addition, severe conditions requiring mechanical ventilation (OR = 64.61; 95% CI: 1.98–2112.02; p = 0.02) were associated with increased mortality, whereas DAH did not increase mortality compared with non-DAH in SLE patients with diffuse lung infiltration.ConclusionsIn SLE patients with acute diffuse lung infiltration, it is important to promptly evaluate the DAH when patients have low levels of hemoglobin or C4, and symptoms of hypoxia. Mortality is associated with severe conditions requiring mechanical ventilation rather than with DAH in patients with diffuse lung infiltration.     

Efficacy and safety of methotrexate in articular and cutaneous manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus

Aim: A prospective open‐label study comparing the efficacy and safety of methotrexate (MTX) and chloroquine (CQ) in articular and cutaneous manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods: Consecutive SLE patients were randomly assigned to either 10 mg MTX weekly or 150 mg CQ daily during 24 weeks. Outcome measures were: numbers of swollen and tender joints, duration of morning stiffness, visual analog scale (VAS) for articular pain, physician global assessment index, patient global assessment index, SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI), disappearance of skin rash and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). Results: Forty‐one patients consented to participate, 15 were allocated in the MTX group and 26 in the CQ group. Two patients on MTX dropped out due to side‐effects and two in the CQ group, one due to side‐effects and one due to inefficacy. Baseline demographic, clinical and laboratory parameters of the two groups were nearly identical. In both groups the clinical and laboratory parameters improved significantly over 24 weeks, except the ESR in the MTX group. The results of the outcome measures at the end of the trial did not differ significantly between the two groups, except morning stiffness (P < 0.05 in favor of the MTX group) and ESR (P < 0.01 in favor of the CQ group). Rise of serum alanine aminotransferase was observed in two cases in the MTX group and in none in the CQ group. Conclusion: Low‐dose MTX appears to be as effective as CQ in patients with articular and cutaneous manifestations of SLE, having an acceptable toxicity profile. Results of this prospective study need to be confirmed in a larger study.