Clinical characteristics of patients with systemic lupus erythe - matosus in Nairobi, Kenya
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Date
2015-06Author
Genga, EK
Shiruli, BC
Odhiambo, J
Jepkorir, S
Jepkorir, S
Omondi, EA
Otieno, FO
Oyoo, GO
Language
enMetadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Background:
Systemic lupus
erythematosus (SLE), a chronic
multisystem autoimmune disease with a
wide spectrum of manifestations, shows
considerable variation across the globe,
although there is data from Africa is
limited.
Quantifying the burden of SLE
across Africa can help raise awareness and
knowledge about the disease. It will also
clarify the role of genetic, environmental
and other causative factors in the natural
history of the disease, and to understand
its clinical and societal consequences in
African set up.
Objective:
To determine the clinical
profile of SLE patients at a tertiary care
centre in Nairobi, Kenya.
Methods:
C
ase records of patients who
were attending the Nairobi Arthritis
Clinic seen between
January 2002
and January 2013 were reviewed.
This was a cross-sectional study done
on 100 patients fulfilling the 2012
Systemic
Lupus
Collaborating Clinics
(SLICC)
criteria for SLE attending
the Nairobi Arthritis Clinic, Kenya.
The patients were evaluated for socio-
demographic, clinical and immunological
manifestations and drugs used to manage
SLE.
Results
: Hundred patients diagnosed with
SLE were recruited into the study. Ninety
seven per cent of the study participants
were female with a mean age of 36.6
years. Thirty three years was the mean
age of diagnosis. The mean time duration
of disease was 3 years with a range of
0-13 years.
There was extensive disease
as many had multi-organ involvement.
Majority (83%) of the study participants
met between 4 and 6 manifestations
for the diagnosis criteria for SLE.
Non
erosive arthritis and cutaneous disease
were the commonest initial manifestation.
The patients had varied cutaneous,
haematological, pulmonary, cardiac, renal
and neuropsychiatric manifestations.
Antinuclear antibody (ANA) assay and
anti-dsDNA was positive in 82% and
52%. Patients on steroids, non-steroidal
drugs and synthetic disease modifying
anti-rheumatic drugs were 84%, 49% and
43% respectively. None of the patients
were on biologic disease modifying anti-
rheumatic drugs. Conclusions
: In Nairobi,
SLE is
a multisystem disorder affecting
predominantly young females.
Polyarthritis and cutaneous disease were
the most common clinical features. This
is comparable to other studies done in
black African population. We found a
higher prevalence of haematological and
lower rate of renal disease as compared to
other studies done in black Africans. The
ANA assay and anti-dsDNA positivity was
lower than those in other studies on black
Africans. Majority of the patients were on
steroids
Citation
Genga EK, Shiruli BC , Odhiambo J, Jepkorir S, Omondi EA, Otieno FO and Oyoo GO (2015)Clinical characteristics of patients with systemic lupus erythe - matosus in Nairobi, Kenya. Afr J Rheumatol 2015; 3(2): 62-66Publisher
University of Nairobi
Subject
SLE, Nairobi, KenyCollections
- Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) [10387]