Long-term follow-up of Iranian male patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

• Published in: Clinical and experimental medicine 2023-11, Vol.23 (7), p.3399-3406
• Main Authors: Smiley, Abbas, Matinfar, Mohammad, Fatemi, Alimohammad
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alveoli; Diagnosis; Hematology; Hemorrhage; Internal Medicine; Lupus; Lupus nephritis; Medical diagnosis; Medical prognosis; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Oncology; Regression analysis; Survival; Systemic lupus erythematosus; Thrombocytopenia; Ulcers
• ISSN: 1591-9528; 1591-8890; 1591-9528
• DOI: 10.1007/s10238-022-00986-y

This study was conducted to investigate the long-term survival in male patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and its predictors. The main demographic and clinical manifestations at the time of disease diagnosis were recorded retrospectively. Kaplan–Meier curves were used to calculate survival rates. Predictors of mortality were determined by backward Cox regression analysis. Eighty-four male patients with SLE were enrolled. During the 23-year study period, 11 patients died. Lupus nephritis (5 cases), infections (5 cases) and alveolar hemorrhage (1 case) were the most common causes of deaths. Overall survival rates at the end of 5, 10, 15, and 20 years after SLE disease diagnosis were 86%, 84%, 84% and 84%, respectively. In multivariate backward-regression analysis, the main determinants of death at the time of SLE diagnosis were oral ulcer ( p  = 0.004, HR = 7.69, 95% CI 1.92–33.33), thrombocytopenia ( p  = 0.012, HR = 5, 95% CI 1.41–16.66) and SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI, p  = 0.05, HR = 1.08, 95% CI = 0.999–1.1). Observing oral ulcer, thrombocytopenia and high SLEDAI at the time of disease diagnosis were the main prognostic factors in male lupus patients.