Measures in assessment of pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus: an experience of retrospective observational study

Systemic lupus erythematosus in children (juvenile-onset SLE, jSLE) is a multisystemic disease with an unpredictable course and a more severe phenotype compared to adults. The patterns of jSLE are extremely heterogeneous, so an enrollment to controlled studies may be rather complicated. Due to this problem and some additional ones, there are no standards for treatment of jSLE yet. The attending physician is fully responsible for the induction and maintenance therapeutical options including durability and aggressiveness.

Objectives: finding of jSLE individual course’s features prognostically connected with the disease outcome.

Methods: 45 children admitted to the SPbGPMU hospital with the systemic lupus erythematosus diagnosed at the age of 4-17 years were enrolled in this retrospective study. Primary SLE manifestations, the activity of disease according to SELENA-SLEDAI and ECLAM scales during initial treatment period and flares after it, the fact of remission achievement in 6 months were evaluated in each patient.

Results: a few organ involvements were considered to be connected with outcome’s characteristics, for example lupus nephritis and early disease oncet are unfavorable predictive factors. The positive connection of favorable outcome with cyclophosphamide, intravenous methylprednisolone and mycophenolate mofetil was found; the negative connection between initial disease activity and flares after induction treatment was also noticed.

Conclusion: the patient with initially high disease activity treated aggressively with high cumulative doses of cyclophosphamide, intravenous methylprednisolone and mycophenolate mofetil has more chances of the favorable outcome (the achievement of remission without further flares).