Clinical and Immunological Characteristics of 56 Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in Uganda
January 2020
in “
Rheumatology Advances in Practice
”
TLDR SLE is rare in Uganda but often has complications and overlaps with rheumatoid arthritis.
This study reviewed 1019 patient charts from two rheumatology clinics in Uganda between 2014 and 2019, identifying 56 patients (5.5%) with confirmed systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The median age was 29 years, with a male-to-female ratio of approximately 1:10. Common symptoms included joint pains or swellings (69.6%), photosensitive malar rash (60.7%), and oral ulceration (41.1%). Notably, 19.6% of patients had SLE and rheumatoid arthritis overlap syndrome. Autoantibodies ANA and anti-dsDNA were positive in 75.8% of tested patients, with ANA titres ≥1:160. The study concluded that SLE is uncommon in Uganda but often presents with complications and overlaps with RA.
