CLINICAL PROFILE OF CHINESE PATIENTS WITH SYSTEMIC LUPUS-ERYTHEMATOSUS

In the 9-year period between 1982 and 1991, 137 patients attending a m edical clinic of Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong, were diagnosed a s having systemic lupus erythematosus according to the American Rheuma tism Association's criteria for classification. The female-to-male rat io was 16 to 1. Commonly the onset age was between 20 and 40. Malar ra sh (70%), arthritis (70.8%) and nephropathy (69.3%) were the most comm on manifestations. Antinuclear factor was invariably positive, whereas anti-extractable nuclear antigen antibodies were positive in varying degrees - Sm 12.7%, nRNP 28.8%, Ro 60.2%, La 8.4%. There were 22 death s during the follow-up period, two-thirds from active diseases. Gastro -intestinal bleeding and opportunistic infection were common complicat ions.