The rate and pattern of organ damage in late onset systemic lupus erythematosus.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the extent and type of damage in patients with late onset and earlier onset systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) using the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology Damage Index (SDI).


METHODS
A total of 86 SLE patients with disease onset after the age of 54 years were matched for center, sex, and ethnic origin with 155 SLE patients with disease onset before the age of 40 years. SDI scores were obtained at one year and 5 years after the diagnosis of SLE. Analysis was based on conditional logistic regression.


RESULTS
SDI scores were higher in the late onset group than in younger patients at both one [mean 0.7 (range 0-3) vs 0.3 (range 0-3); p < 0.001] and 5 years [mean 1.6 (range 0-8) vs 0.9 (range 0-7); p < 0.001] after diagnosis. There was also a difference in the pattern of organ damage. While damage to the skin, kidneys, and central nervous system occurred with similar frequency, late onset disease was characterized by significantly more cardiovascular (OR 14.13, p < 0.001), ocular (OR 9.38, p = 0.001), and musculoskeletal (OR 2.68, p = 0.016) damage and malignancy (OR 7.04, p = 0.046).


CONCLUSIONS
The occurrence of organ damage assessed by the SDI is greater in patients with late onset SLE than in younger patients and, by this criterion, lupus cannot be judged to be more benign in this age group. Also, the pattern of damage is different, but whether this reflects age per se or the effect of the disease in the elderly remains to be established.
Maddison
Peter
P
School of Sport, Health and Exercise Science, University of Wales, Bangor, UK.
Farewell
Vernon
V
Isenberg
David
D
Aranow
Cynthia
C
Bae
Sang-Cheol
SC
Barr
Susan
S
Buyon
Jill
J
Fortin
Paul
P
Ginzler
Ellen
E
Gladman
Dafna
D
Hanly
John
J
Manzi
Susan
S
Nived
Ola
O
Petri
Michelle
M
Ramsey-Goldman
Rosalind
R
Sturfelt
Gunnar
G
D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index