Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in Algerian Men: Clinical-Biological and Evolutionary Analysis of 19 Algerian Men

Abstract

Objectives: the aim of our study was to precise the epidemiological, clinicobiological, immunological, and evolutionary profile of systemic lupus erythematosus in Algerian men.
 Methods: A retrospective multicenter study was carried out on 19 Algerian male lupus patients, diagnosed according to the ACR and SLICC criteria and followed between 2006 and 2019 on a total of 203 cases of systemic lupus erythematosus in western Algeria.
 Results: 203 SLE patients were included, 19 men (9.4%) and 184 women (90.6%) with F/ M sex ratio of 9.68 / 1. The mean age at diagnosis was 33 ± 9.49 years. The most frequent clinical manifestations were joint involvement (84.2%), cutaneous (68.4%) and hematological disorder (63.2%). 15.8% had lupus nephropathies with the predominance of class IV; Raynaud's syndrome and neuropsychiatric involvement were found in 26.3%. Comparison of these results with those of 184 lupus women showed a significant frequency of mucosal ulcer (p=0.000011) and neuropsychiatric damage in men (p=0.011), while alopecia in women (p=0.021). As well, hypocomplementemia (p=0.0004), anti-Sm antibodies (p=0.053) and anti Ribosome (p=0.028) were more frequent in men; while anti-SSA (p=0.003) and anti-SSB (p=0.011) antibodies were more frequent in women. Survival of lupus men was equal to 100% throughout the studied period.
 Conclusion: Male lupus is rare. The Algerian man suffers from SLE in a less severe form compared to other data in the literature, which is manifested by a lower frequency of organ damage and mortality.
 Keywords: Male lupus, epidemiology, clinical polymorphism, evolutionary profile, western Algeria.