title: Mucocutaneous disease in Arabs with systemic lupus erythematosus: clinical expression and relevance to autoantibodies.
abstract: Both criterial and non-criterial mucocutaneous manifestations of 42 Arabs with systemic lupus erythematosus are reviewed. Photosensitivity occurred in 40.5%, malar rash in 35.75% and oral ulcers in 26% of patients. Subcutaneous nodules and subcutaneous lupus erythematosus (SCLE) were not seen, and there were few cases of discoid rash (DLE), Raynaud's phenomenon, livedo reticularis and SLE-related sicca and anticardiolipin syndromes. In the clinical relevance of autoantibodies in these patients, there was a significant association between anti-Sm antibodies and oral ulcers (P= 0.033) and, interestingly, between anti-cardiolipin (aCL) antibodies and lack of photosensitivity (P = 0.014). The report also reviews previously presented data on mucocutaneous LE in Arab and non-Arab patients and emphasises the presence of intra- and inter-racial variations of SLE expression including the clinical relevance to autoantibodies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine in Mafraq Hospital, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Al-Attia
authors.forename: Y H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Al Ahmed
mesh_terms: D018912:Arabs; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D005076:Exanthema / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D010787:Photosensitivity Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology; D011928:Raynaud Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology*; D014479:United Arab Emirates
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies