What is it about?
Systemic lupus erythematosus, or lupus, is a chronic autoimmune disease for which there is no cure. Our study found lupus is more severe in pediatric patients in South Africa than pediatric patients in North America.
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Why is it important?
This article describes the largest pediatric lupus cohort in sub-Saharan Africa to date. Chronic autoimmune diseases like lupus are under-studied, under-recognized, and under-diagnosed in lower income nations. Lupus patients of African descent are at risk for poor outcomes. Children suffer from more aggressive disease than adults. This article describes the increased disease severity and high risk for renal failure and death in the pediatric lupus population in South Africa.
Perspectives
Lupus is a life threatening autoimmune disease. Children are at risk for severe disease, and patients of African descent are at risk for poor outcomes, but little research to date has focused on children with lupus in Africa. Our study describes a large cohort of pediatric lupus patients in South Africa. These patients were found to have active lupus and major organ involvement. Patients in South Africa had more disease damage than patients in North America. South African lupus patients were more likely to require renal dialysis and renal transplant. This study found South African pediatric lupus patients presented with severe disease, and went on to develop irreversible organ damage.
Dr Laura B Lewandowski
National Institutes of Health
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Severe disease presentation and poor outcomes among pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus patients in South Africa, Lupus, August 2016, SAGE Publications,
DOI: 10.1177/0961203316660625.
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