title: The Swiss Systemic lupus erythematosus Cohort Study (SSCS) - cross-sectional analysis of clinical characteristics and treatments across different medical disciplines in Switzerland.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe disease characteristics and treatment modalities in a multidisciplinary cohort of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients in Switzerland.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional analysis of 255 patients included in the Swiss SLE Cohort and coming from centres specialised in Clinical Immunology, Internal Medicine, Nephrology and Rheumatology. Clinical data were collected with a standardised form. Disease activity was assessed using the Safety of Estrogens in Lupus Erythematosus National Assessment-SLE Disease Activity Index (SELENA-SLEDAI), an integer physician's global assessment score (PGA) ranging from 0 (inactive) to 3 (very active disease) and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). The relationship between SLE treatment and activity was assessed by propensity score methods using a mixed-effect logistic regression with a random effect on the contributing centre.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 255 patients, 82% were women and 82% were of European ancestry. The mean age at enrolment was 44.8 years and the median SLE duration was 5.2 years. Patients from Rheumatology had a significantly later disease onset. Renal disease was reported in 44% of patients. PGA showed active disease in 49% of patients, median SLEDAI was 4 and median ESR was 14 millimetre/first hour. Prescription rates of anti-malarial drugs ranged from 3% by nephrologists to 76% by rheumatologists. Patients regularly using anti-malarial drugs had significantly lower SELENA-SLEDAI scores and ESR values.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our cohort, patients in Rheumatology had a significantly later SLE onset than those in Nephrology. Anti-malarial drugs were mostly prescribed by rheumatologists and internists and less frequently by nephrologists, and appeared to be associated with less active SLE.
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, Department of Internal Medicine Specialties, University Hospital and School of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland; Division of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, University Hospital Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Camillo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ribi
authors.affiliation: Division of Internal Medicine and Clinical Immunology Lab, Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Marten
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Trendelenburg
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Community Health and Medicine, University Hospital and School of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Angèle
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gayet-Ageron
authors.affiliation: Division of Nephrology, University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Clemens
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, Sion Hospital, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dayer
authors.affiliation: Division of Nephrology, University Hospital Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Ute
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Eisenberger
authors.affiliation: Immunologie-Zentrum, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hauser
authors.affiliation: Division of Dermatology, University Hospital Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hunziker
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Kantonsspital St Gallen, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leimgruber
authors.affiliation: Division of Nephrology, University Hospital Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Gregor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lindner
authors.affiliation: Division of Internal Medicine and Clinical Immunology Lab, Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Katrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Koenig
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Kantonsspital St Gallen, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Otto
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, University Hospital Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Spertini
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Kantonsspital Schaffhausen, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Stoll
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Kantonsspital St Gallen, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Von Kempis
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, Department of Internal Medicine Specialties, University Hospital and School of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chizzolini
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000486:Allergy and Immunology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007388:Internal Medicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000150:complications; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009398:Nephrology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D057216:Propensity Score; D012219:Rheumatology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013557:Switzerland; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D000962:Antimalarials; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents