Author/Editor		Kveder, T; Praprotnik, S; Trysberg, E; Bjelle, A; Rozman, B
Title		A comparative study of 167 Slovenian and 73 Swedish patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: immunoserological and clinical differences
Type		članek
Source		New Eur Rheumatol
Vol. and No.		Letnik 1, št. 1
Publication year		1993
Volume		str. 4-9
Language		eng
Abstract		Immunoserological and clinical parameters of 167 Slovenian and 73 Swedish SLE patients were studied (mean age 38 and 43 years, mean disease duration 101 and 151 months, respectively). Autoantibodies against Sm, /U1/ RNP, Ro and La antigens were determined by the same investigator using standard counter-immunoelectrophoresis. STriking differences with regards to anti-/U1/ RNP and anti-Ro autoantibodies were found between the two groups. The Swedish patients exhibited a higher incidence of anti-/U1/ RNP (29 percent) compared to the Slovenians (15 percent, p less than 0.0003) and a lower incidence of anti-Ro (37 percent vs 54 percent, p less than 0.01). Clinical features differes as well. Swedish SLE patients evidently expressed a milder form of the disease. They exhibited a significantly higher occurrence of lung affections, Raynaud syndrome, sicca syndrome, arthritis, photosensibility and discoid lupus (p less than 0.05 and higher), whereas Slovenian patients exhibited a higher percentage of renal and haematological disorders, serositis and malar rash (p less than 0.01 and higher). Methodological aspects were excluded as reasons for differences in autoantibody patterns. Different occurrences of anti-Ro and anti-/U1/ RNP in both SLE populations could be explained by different clinical manifestations.
Descriptors		LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS, SYSTEMIC AUTOANTIBODIES AUTOANTIGENS COUNTERIMMUNOELECTROPHORESIS SLOVENIA SWEDEN RIBONUCLEOPROTEINS