Lupus-related vasculitis in a cohort of systemic lupus erythematosus patients

Sherif M Gamal1, Sally S. Mohamed1, Marwa Tantawy2, Ibrahem Siam3, Ahmed Soliman4, Marwa H. Niazy1

1Rheumatology, Cairo University, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo, Egypt
2Rheumatology, Beni Suif University, Beni Suif, Egypt
3Department of Internal Medicine, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt
4Department of Dermatology, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt

Keywords: Clinical association, frequency, lupus vasculitis

Abstract

Objectives: This study aims to examine the frequency and clinical association of lupus-related vasculitis in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Patients and methods: We retrospectively analyzed medical records of a total of 565 SLE patients (42 males, 523 females; mean age: 32.7±9.5 years; range, 13 to 63 years) between January 2017 and February 2020. Demographic, clinical data, and laboratory data and treatment modalities applied were recorded. Lupus-related vasculitis and its different types were documented, and the patients with vasculitis were compared with those without vasculitis.

Results: The mean disease duration was 8.9±6.3 years. Vasculitis associated with lupus was found in 191 (33.45%) patients. Cutaneous vasculitis was found in 59.2%, visceral vasculitis in 34.0%, and both in 6.8% of total vasculitis patients. The patients with vasculitis had a longer disease duration (p=0.01), were more likely to have juvenile onset (p=0.002), livedo reticularis (p<0.001), Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) (p<0.001), digital gangrene (p<0.001), thrombosis (p=0.003), and cranial neuropathy (p=0.004). The patients with vasculitis showed a higher prevalence of hypercholesterolemia (p=0.045), diabetes mellitus (p=0.026), higher Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) at disease onset (p<0.001), and Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) Damage Index (p=0.003) scores. They had more prevalent hematological manifestations (p<0.001), hypocomplementemia (p=0.007), received a higher cumulative dose of intravenous methylprednisolone (p<0.001), and had also more frequent cyclophosphamide (p=0.016) and azathioprine intake (p<0.001). In the logistic regression analysis, SLE vasculitis was independently associated with juvenile disease onset, livedo reticularis, RP, hematological manifestations, and higher scores of SLEDAI at disease onset (p<0.05).

Conclusion: Juvenile disease onset, livedo reticularis, RP, hematological manifestations, and higher SLEDAI scores at disease onset may be associated with the development of vasculitis in SLE patients.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declared no conflicts of interest with respect to the authorship and/or publication of this article.

Financial Disclosure

The authors received no financial support for the research and/or authorship of this article.