Systemic lupus erythematosus Barbados: the renal complications - abstract
West Indian med. j
; 39(Suppl. 1): 46, Apr. 1990.
Article
in En
| MedCarib
| ID: med-5271
Responsible library:
JM3.1
Localization: JM3.1; R18.W4
ABSTRACT
Over the past 10 years, 75 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have been followed, and this paper reports the clinical findings with emphasis on renal complications and mortality. The diagnosis of SLE was based on the presence of 4 or more of the 1982 "revised criteria" of the American Rheumatism Association. The female male ratio was 141 and the mean age of onset was 27.4 years (range 6-54 years). Six patients (5 girls and 1 boy) presented at < 12 years of age. Patients presented most frequently with polyarthalgia/ polyarthritis (59 per cent), skin rashes (57 per cent), fever (55 per cent), anorexia (39 per cent) and weight loss (33 per cent). Eight patients (11 per cent) presented with acute renal failure and 4 of these had associated nephrotic syndrome (NS). Of 8 patients presenting with NS, 4 had normal renal function. During follow-up, 69 per cent of patients developed significant renal involvement (sustained proteinuria >0.5 g/24 hr. and/or cellular urinary casts) and 14 patients had nephrotic range proteinuria (>3 g/24 hr.). All patients received prednisone at some time for vital organ involvement. Some degree of remission of proteinuria usually occurred over the course of several months. Twelve patients (16 per cent) died during the study, 5 from infection with immunosuppression being the major precipitating factor. Infection is of critical importance in this disease, and renal disease can be modified by the aggressive use of immunosuppressive agents which, however, are potentially hazardous (AU)
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Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MedCarib
Main subject:
Immunosuppressive Agents
/
Kidney Diseases
/
Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic
Limits:
Child
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Country/Region as subject:
Barbados
/
Caribe ingles
Language:
En
Year:
1990
Type:
Article
/
Congress and conference