Autoantibodies in black South Africans with systemic lupus erythematosus: Spectrum and clinical associations

The clinical features and autoantibody profile of 111 black South Africans (103 females and 8 males) with systemic lupus erythematosus were retro-spectively analysed, The mean age of the patients was 35.1 years and mean duration of disease 3.5 years, The commonest clinical and laboratory features noted were arthritis (62.2%), hypocomplementaemia (61.2%), haematological abnormalities (60.5%) and malar rash (55%), The serological abnormalities included antinuclear antibodies (98.2%), anti-dsDNA (66.2%), anti-Sm (44.2%), anti-RNP (65.5%), anti-Re (60.5%), anti-La (28.4%) and rheumatoid factor (10.1%), Positive clinico-serological associations observed included: combination of anti-dsDNA antibodies and low C4 levels with renal disease; anti-dsDNA antibodies with cutaneous vasculitis; anti-Sm antibodies with psychosis; anti-RNP antibodies with Raynaud's phenomenon; anti-lie antibodies with renal disease, psychosis and malar rash, Anti-La antibodies showed a weak negative association with serositis and Raynaud's phenomenon, Most of these clinical correlates are consistent with past studies, The high frequency of anti-Sm and anti-RNP antibodies is similar to the observations in African-Americans and Afro-Caribbeans.