Comparison of Disease Characteristics, Course and Outcome between Adults with Juvenile and Adult- onset Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Abstract

he present work was undertaken in order to evaluate disease characteristics, activity and damage in adult patients with either juvenile or adult onset SLE. The study design is combined retrospective and prospective cohort study. It was a 2 years follow up study for each patient with 3 times full assessment; at enrolment, one year before from his files and another full assessment one year later. This study involved 150 SLE patients fulfilling the SLICC criteria for the classification of SLE (Petri et al., 2012). Patients were selected according to the age at disease onset and were classified into two groups: Group I: 50 adults with juvenile onset SLE patients (age at disease onset < 18 years of age). Group II: 100 adult onset SLE patients (age at disease onset > 18 years).