Late Onset Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Clinical and Autoantibody Profile Compared with Young Onset Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

This study compared the clinical features and autoantibody profiles of late onset (≥50 years) and young onset (18-49 years) Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) in 305 patients. Late onset SLE patients (n=69) had a mean age of 59.42 years and showed higher frequencies of interstitial lung disease (14.5%), pancytopenia (13%), and diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (4.3%). Significant differences between the groups included higher rates of photosensitivity, malar rash, excessive hair loss, Raynaud's phenomenon, lymphadenopathy, nephritis, and specific autoantibodies (anti-dsDNA, anti-nucleosome, anti-Sm, Ribosomes P0) in young onset SLE. The study concludes that late onset SLE has distinct clinical and serological characteristics compared to young onset SLE.