Clinical and Immunological Profile of Childhood Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Observational Study

Abstract

Background: Childhood SLE is a severe autoimmune disease involving multiple systems that effect peoples globally. Aim: To delineate the spectrum of clinical manifestations of childhood SLE at the Government Children’s Hospital Lahore. Study design: Descriptive observational study. Methodology: Study was carried out at department of Pediatric medicine, unit 1, Children’s hospital Lahore from January 2016 to December 2019. Applying a nonprobability convenience sampling technique, children between 1-16 years of age with childhood systemic lupus erythematosus attending rheumatology outpatient clinic or admitted through emergency were included in study. Written and verbal informed consent was obtained after explanation of study purpose. Results: There were 59 (78.70%) female and 16 (28.3%) male patients enrolled in the study. Mean age at diagnosis was 10.89±3.4% years. Female predominance was noticeable. Amongst the clinical features fever (96%) was the commonest, followed by oral ulcers (74.70%), alopecia (72%), renal manifestations (69.30%), rash (61.30%), arthritis (56%), and hematological abnormalities (48%), photosensitivity (44%), neurological features (36%) in 24% of patients. Conclusion: It was concluded that disease was prevalent among all races around the world but in South Asia there are few studies available on its prevalence. Timely diagnosis by a detailed history, physical examination and laboratory evaluation can improve the chances of prolonged disease-free periods and better survival of children. Keywords: Childhood SLE, ACR and SLICC.