The variation in anti-ENA characteristics between different ethnic populations with systemic lupus erythematosus over a 10-year period

Objective: To assess how anti-ENA characteristics change in patients with s ystemic lupus erythematosus from different ethnic backgrounds over a 10-yea r period follow-up study. Results: There were 61 patients, of whom 37 were Caucasian, 12 were Asian a nd 12 were Afro-Caribbean At the first available bleed 12/37 (32%) Caucasia ns were anti-ENA positive compared to 6/12 (50%) Asians and 9/12 (75%) of A fro-Caribbeans (Chi-squared P = 0.01 for Caucasian vs Afro-Caribbean) and t hese proportions remained essentially unchanged after 10 y of follow-up. Ho wever, over the 10 y of follow-up anti-ENA patterns did change, with anti-s o being the commonest antibody pattern to emerge and anti-Ro/La the commone st antibody pattern to disappear. There were 20/37(54%) Caucasians, 1/12(8% ) Afro-Caribbeans and 5/12(42%) Asians who remained negative for anti ENA t hroughout the 10-year follow-up (Chi-squared P = 0.03 for Caucasian vs Afro -Caribbean). Conclusion: Anti-ENA were more commonly found in the Afro-Caribbean than th e Caucasian population. The commonest patterns of anti-ENA differ between e thnic groups and, over a 10-year period, anti-ENA patterns in individual pa tients changed in a significant number of individuals. However. Caucasians were more likely to remain anti-ENA negative over 10 y of follow-up than Af ro-Caribbeans.