Clinical and serological characteristics of early systemic lupus erythematosus

Background: Early diagnosis in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), which is based on the knowledge of the variability of the initial disease manifestation, followed by prompt initiation of basic therapy is essential for a favorable prognosis in these patients. Thus, the determination of early manifestations of the disease in patients with lupus was the main objective of this study. Material and methods: This present descriptive study included 68 patients with early SLE – the disease duration being of up to 2 years after the diagnosis. The evaluation of the characteristics of the disease was performed by a questionnaire developed by this study, which included the clinical and paraclinical examination. Statistical data processing was performed via Excel program. Results: The analysis of the results on early manifestations of the disease revealed the high frequency of joint involvement in 64.7%, photosensitivity and malar rash – in 58.82% and 32.35%, respectively, and oral ulcers and alopecia were found in about 1/4 cases. The signs detected, but omitted from the criteria with increased occurrence were represented by fatigue in 42.64% of cases, fever – 29.41%, myalgia and Raynaud’s syndrome in 20.58% of patients. It should be noted that the first lupus-associated manifestations were noticed 1-4 years prior to diagnosis. Conclusions: Top early manifestations in patients enrolled in the current study included arthralgia, photosensitivity and fatigue. These symptoms were followed by malar rash and fever