Late-onset IgA vasculitis in adult patients exhibits distinct clinical characteristics and outcomes.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to determine whether adult IgA vasculitis patients who developed the disease at an older age differ from early-onset patients in terms of clinical features and outcomes.

METHODS

All consecutive adult patients who were diagnosed with IgA vasculitis between January 1997 and December 2014 were reviewed retrospectively. Patients who developed the disease at an older age (≥60 years; late-onset) were compared with those with an earlier onset of disease (<60 years; early-onset). Renal insufficiency was defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 ml/minute.

RESULTS

In total, 100 adult patients were diagnosed with IgA vasculitis (mean age, 45.61 ± 17.24 years), of whom 31 (31%) had late-onset disease. Compared to early-onset patients, late-onset patients were less likely to have a preceding upper respiratory tract infection (0/31, 0.0% vs. 14/69, 20.3%; p=0.004), and more likely to have renal involvement at presentation (27/31, 87.1% vs. 43/69, 62.3%; p=0.017). At the last follow-up visit, late-onset patients were more likely to have chronic renal insufficiency, including end-stage renal disease (18/28, 64.3% vs. 7/62, 11.3%; p=0.000). Multivariate Cox analysis revealed that late-onset was a significant risk factor for renal insufficiency at follow-up (hazard ratio, 16.980, 95% confidence intervals, 4.380-65.830; p=0.000).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with late-onset IgA vasculitis in adults exhibit distinct clinical features characterized by greater renal involvement and worse renal outcomes. Thus, watchful follow-up might be needed for adult IgA vasculitis patients, in particular those with late-onset disease.