title: Systemic lupus erythematosus and Raynaud's phenomenon.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus seem to belong to different serological and clinical subgroups of the disease. Genetic background can cause the appearance of these subgroups.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether Brazilian patients who have systemic lupus erythematosus and Raynaud's phenomenon differ from those who do not.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective analysis of 373 medical records of systemic lupus erythematosus patients studied for demographic, clinical and serological data. A comparative analysis was performed of individuals with and without RP.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a positive association between Raynaud's phenomenon and age at diagnosis (p=0.02), presence of anti-Sm (p=0.01) antibodies and anti-RNP (p<0.0001). Furthermore, a negative association was found between Raynaud's phenomenon and hemolysis (p=0.01), serositis (p=0.01), glomerulonephritis (p=0.0004) and IgM aCL (p=0.004) antibodies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Raynaud's phenomenon patients appear to belong to a systemic lupus erythematosus subset with a spectrum of clinical manifestations located in a more benign pole of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Faculdade Evangélica do Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Flavia Emilie
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Heimovski
authors.affiliation: Faculdade Evangélica do Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Juliana A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Simioni
authors.affiliation: Faculdade Evangélica do Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Thelma Larocca
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Skare
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000032:analysis; D001938:Brazil; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D008875:Middle Aged; D011928:Raynaud Disease / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear