Article Text
Abstract
Background/Purpose Serositis is one of both ACR and SLICC classification criteria for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and a common type of extra renal flare. However, little is known about clinical or immunological associations of pleurisy or pericarditis. The aim of this study is to analyze associates and predictors of pleurisy versus pericarditis in Caucasians and African Americans with SLE.
Methods 2,390 SLE patients in the Hopkins Lupus Cohort were analyzed for demographic, clinical and serologic associates of pleurisy or pericarditis, defined using the SELENA revision of the SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI). The cross-sectional and prospective study using either univariate or multivariate analysis were performed to evaluate the associates of serositis in SLE. We reported associates with a p-value of less than 0.05 for pleurisy or pericarditis.
Results 43% had pleurisy and 22% had pericarditis. African-American ethnicity was a predictive factor for new pericarditis. Hemolytic anemia, proteinuria, lymphadenopathy and anti-Sm were predictive only of pericarditis, whereas pulmonary fibrosis and GI infarction were predictive only of pleurisy. Fever, Raynaud’s syndrome, and anti-DNA were predictors for both pericarditis and pleurisy.
Conclusion Our study provides further insights into the associates of pleurisy and pericarditis in SLE. Predictors of pleurisy and pericarditis are shown for the first time. The long term consequences from the cross-sectional analysis gives a lesson that serositis in SLE should not be considered benign.
- systemic lupus erythematosus
- serositis
- pericarditis
- pleurisy
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Footnotes
Contributors MP acquired the data in the cohort. SR, WF and MP designed the study, analysed and interpreted the data and revised the manuscript. All authors approved the final version of the manuscript.
Funding The Hopkins Lupus Cohort was funded by NIH AR043727 and AR069572.
Competing interests None declared.
Ethics approval The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Institutional Review Board.
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.
Data sharing statement No additional data are available.