SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS: A CASE-CONTROL EPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDY IN JAPAN |
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| Authors: | CHISATO NAGATA M.D. SETSUYA FUJITA M.D. HIROTOSHI IWATA M.D. YUTAKA KUROSAWA M.D. KATSUYOSHI KOBAYASHI M.D. MASAYO KOBAYASHI M.D. KAZUO MOTEGI M.D. TOSHITAKA OMURA M.D. MASAHARU YAMAMOTO M.D. TAKAYUKI NOSE M.D. KEN-ICHI NAKAMURA M.D. TSUTOMU HASHIMOTO M.D. YOSIKAZU NAKAMURA M.D. HIROSHI YANAGAWA M.D. |
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| Affiliation: | Department of Hygiene, Gifu University School of Medicine, Gifu;Department of Health and Welfare, Prefectural Government of Toyama;Nanao Public Health Center, Prefectural Government of Ishikawa;Sano Public Health Center, Prefectural Government of Tochigi;Takahagi District Health Centre, Prefectural Government of Ibaraki;Department of Public Health, Akita University School of Medicine, Akita;Department of Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, Niigata University School of Medicine, Niigata;Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Tottori;Department of Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo;Department of Public Health, Wakayama Medical College, Wakayama;and Department of Public Health, Jichi Medical School, Tochigi;Japan. |
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| Abstract: | Background. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is designated by the Japanese government as one of the intractable diseases and all patients, who suffer from these diseases, are registered to get financial aid for treatment. Using newly registered SLE patients, a case-control study was conducted to evaluate potential risk factors. Methods. Two-hundred and eighty-two women SLE patients, newly registered to receive financial aid for treatment, and 292 randomly selected health examination participants at public health centers (controls) were surveyed from April 1988 through March 1990. By means of a self-administered questionnaire, data concerning demographic variables, smoking and drinking habits, past medical and reproductive history, and family history were collected. Results. Based on unconditional logistic regression analysis, the risk of SLE was significantly increased for current smokers (age-adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 2.31, 95% confidence interval (CI) (1.34–3.97). Alcohol and milk intake were inversely associated with risk. Family histories of asthma and collagen diseases, including SLE, were associated with significantly elevated risk of SLE (OR = 2.07, 95% ci 1.14–3.77; OR = 5.20, 95% CI 1.08–24.95, respectively). Regarding reproductive function, women with menarche at age 15 or later had significantly higher risk than those, who started menstruating before age 12 (OR = 3.82, 95% CI 1.66–8.81 for menarche at > 15 years and OR = 2.90, 95% a 1.14–7.39 for menarche at 16y). Conclusions. Our study suggests several risk factors, including smoking, family history, and reproductive history that may increase the risk of SLE. |
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