title: Clinicolaboratory profile of 33 Arabs with systemic lupus erythematosus.
abstract: A clinical and laboratory survey of systemic lupus erythematosus was conducted in 33 Arab patients in the UAE. Arthropathy (91%) followed by renal involvement (54%) and haematological disorders (45.5%) were the major clinical manifestations. Discoid rash (3%) was the least common. Apart from headaches, other neuropsychiatric symptoms were uncommon or not encountered. A number of distinctive clinical subsets of lupus was also observed. An unusually high prevalence of dsDNA antibodies was detected in the study (97%), compared with a prevalence of 89.5% of ANF. There was a relative paucity of anti-Ro (18.5%), La (7.5%) and RNP (11%) antibodies, but a high rate of anti-Sm(33%). The occurrence of the latter in patients with central nervous system and renal disease was insignificant. C3-Hypocomplementaemia occurred in 38.5% of the patients and a positive VDRL and Coomb's test in 9% and 24%, respectively. This study provides additional information on the characterization of systemic lupus erythematosus in various populations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Mafraq Hospital, Abu Dhabi, UAE.
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: al-Attia
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000906:Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000097:blood; D018912:Arabs; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor / Q000097:blood; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000276:immunology; D002493:Central Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology; D003176:Complement C3 / Q000032:analysis; D003298:Coombs Test; D005260:Female; D006402:Hematologic Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017411:Ribonucleoproteins, Small Nuclear; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology; D014479:United Arab Emirates; D055517:snRNP Core Proteins
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D001324:Autoantigens; D003176:Complement C3; D017411:Ribonucleoproteins, Small Nuclear; D055517:snRNP Core Proteins; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor