Clinical profile of Chinese patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

In the 9-year period between 1982 and 1991, 137 patients attending a medical clinic of Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong, were diagnosed as having systemic lupus erythematosus according to the American Rheumatism Association's criteria for classification. The female-to-male ratio was 16 to 1. Commonly the onset age was between 20 and 40. Malar rash (70%), arthritis (70.8%) and nephropathy (69.3%) were the most common manifestations. Anti-nuclear factor was invariably positive, whereas anti-extractable nuclear antigen antibodies were positive in varying degrees--Sm 12.7%, nRNP 28.8%, Ro 60.2%, La 8.4%. There were 22 deaths during the follow-up period, two-thirds from active diseases. Gastro-intestinal bleeding and opportunistic infection were common complications.