title: Clinical and immunological characteristics in 552 systemic lupus erythematosus patients in a southern province of China.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in Hakka populations.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied the demographic, clinical and laboratory characteristics in a cohort of 552 SLE patients diagnosed at the Rheumatology Department in MeiZhou People's Hospital from January 2008 to December 2012. There were 495 women and 57 men (8.7 : 1) with a mean age of 35.3 years (range 12-78 years). The mean age at disease onset and the mean disease duration were 31.8 ± 14.4 years and 3.3 ± 2.8 years, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most common clinical manifestations were arthritis (61.6%), followed by malar rash (52.7%), photosensitivity (22.8%), mouth ulcers (17.0%) and discoid lupus (14.7%). The prevalence was 46.7% for nephritis (by biopsy), 18.3% for pleuritis, 15.6% for pericarditis and 4.9% for neuropsychiatric manifestations. The most common hematological manifestations were anemia (63.8%), followed by leucopenia (29.0%) and thrombocytopenia (14.9%). Antinuclear antibodies were detected in 99.8% of patients, followed by anti-double-stranded DNA (81.3%), anti-SSA (Sjögren's syndrome antigen A)/Ro (58.7%), anti-ribonucleoprotein (36.8%), anti-Sm (35.7%), and anti-SSB/La (15.0%). Anti-cardiolipin immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM were detected in 18.3% and 14.1% of patients, respectively. Active disease and infections were the two major causes of death.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The clinical and immunological characteristics of the SLE patients in our study place our population in the middle of the spectrum between other Asian and Caucasian populations.
authors: Department of Rheumatology, Meizhou People's Hospital, Meizhou, Guangdong, China.
authors: Wen-Gen
authors: WG
authors: Li
authors: Department of Rheumatology, The Affiliated Futian Hospital of Guangdong Medical College, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
authors: Zhi-Zhong
authors: ZZ
authors: Ye
authors: Department of Rheumatology, The Affiliated Futian Hospital of Guangdong Medical College, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
authors: Zhi-Hua
authors: ZH
authors: Yin
authors: Department of Rheumatology, Meizhou People's Hospital, Meizhou, Guangdong, China.
authors: Ke
authors: K
authors: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001168:Arthritis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002423:Cause of Death; D002648:Child; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005148:Facial Dermatoses / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood*; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood*; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D008179:Lupus Erythematosus, Discoid / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019226:Oral Ulcer / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D010787:Photosensitivity Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D015415:Biomarkers; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M
keywords: clinical characteristics; immunological characteristics; systemic lupus erythematosus