CLINICAL-FEATURES AND OUTCOME OF 80 PATIENTS WITH SYSTEMIC LUPUS-ERYTHEMATOSUS

The spectrum of organ involvement and outcome of 80 patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) have been assessed in a retrospective study. Joint manifestations and constitutional symptoms were the most common features. Nephritis was present in 16 patients at disease onset and developed in further 21 during the course of their disease. Patients with late-onset SLE (after age 50; 33.3%) had a lower incidence of renal disease similar to that found in patients younger than 20 years (26.3%). The mean interval from onset of first symptoms to diagnosis was shorter in patients evaluated from 1984 to 1989: 7.2 months versus 24.9 months of the patients first seen in the previous six years. Eight deaths occurred (10%) and lupus-related organ or system involvement (mainly CNS and active nephritis) were the most frequent primary causes of death. Two of the patients who died of cerebrovascular disease had high anticardiolipin antibodies and in a third the level was borderline. This finding implies that antiphospholipid immunity may be an important contributing cause of death and underscores the urgency of an appropriate treatment of this abnormality.