Study Of Serum Uric Acid Level In patients With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Abstract

Background: Pulmonary Hypertension (PH) is a serious and often fatal complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Because the diagnosis of PH often is made years after symptom onset, early diagnostic strategies are essential. Serum uric acid ( U A ) currently is considered a marker for screening of PH in patients with SLE . Aim :To study the association between PH and serum uric acid in SLE patients and the possibility of using serum uric acid as a surrogate marker for screening of PH in patients with SLE. Patients and Methods : A Case control study was conducted on 80 subjects 60 of them were SLE patients.The included subjects were divided into 4 groups as follows : Group I: 30 SLE patients with PH , Group II : 30 SLE without PH , Group III : 10 subjects as a positive controls ( with PH ) and Group IV : 10 subjects as a negative controls ( without PH) . All patients and controls were subjected to the following : Full history taking, complete physical examination, Serum uric acid , CBC , ESR , C-reactive protein , serum creatinine , blood urea , anti-nuclear (ANA ) and anti-double-stranded DNA antibodies , anti-scleroderma 70 ( SCL-70 ) and anti ribonucleoprotein ( RNP ) antibodies , lupus anticoagulant , anti cardiolipin , b2-glycoprotein I antibodies and Doppler echocardiography . Results : serum UA levels were significantly higher in SLE patients with PH ( p-value<0.001) than in SLE patients without PH ( p-value=0.403) and than control positive group ( p-value=0.771) and than control negative group ( pvalue= 0.343) . Also there is a Positive correlation and significance between systolic pulmonary arterial pressure ( sPAP ) with uric acid in SLE patients with PH.