Clinical and immunological characteristics of 56 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus in Uganda.

OBJECTIVES

The prevalence and burden of SLE in Africa are poorly understood. This health-facility-based retrospective study aimed to describe the frequency and the clinical and immunological characteristics of SLE in Uganda.

METHODS

We reviewed clinical notes of patients presenting with rheumatological complaints in two large rheumatology outpatient clinics in Uganda between January 2014 and December 2019.

RESULTS

Of the 1019 charts reviewed, 5.5% (56) of the patients had confirmed SLE, with a median age of 29 (range: 14-65) years. The male-to-female ratio was ∼1:10, and 19.6% (11/56) of the patients had SLE and RA overlap syndrome. Patients presented with joint pains or swellings ( = 39, 69.6%), typical photosensitive malar rash ( = 34, 60.7%), oral ulceration ( = 23, 41.1%), anaemia ( = 14, 25.0%), hair loss and polyserositis ( = 12, 21.4% each), constitutional symptoms ( = 10, 17.9%), RP ( = 4, 7.1%) or LN ( = 3, 5.4%). ANA and anti-dsDNA autoantibodies were both positive in 25 (75.8%) of the 33 patients with available results. ANA titres were ≥1:160, with a median titre of 1:160 (range: 1:160 to 1:3200). Six patients had titres ≥1:320. The median dsDNA level was 80 (range: 40-283) IU. Ten patients had results of C3 and C4 complement protein levels and, of these, 4 patients had low C3 levels and 3 had low C4 levels.

CONCLUSION

SLE is uncommon among patients presenting with rheumatological complains in Uganda. SLE overlaps with RA in our setting, and a majority of patients present to care with complications.