Objective. To evaluate the prevalence, disease course, and survival of pati
ents with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in a population of over 120,00
0 North American Indians (NAI), and contrast the results to those in the no
n-Indian population.
Methods. The regional arthritis center database and the medical records of
all rheumatologists, hematologists. nephrologists. and general internists w
ith > 1 patient with SLE were searched for cases of SLE diagnosed between 1
980 and 1996. A random survey of 20% of family physicians serving this popu
lation suggested that > 85% of all SLE: cases were identified. Demographics
, SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) scores, Systemic Lupus International
Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology (SLICC/ACR) damage s
cores, clinical manifestations, and therapy for NAI were contrasted with th
e results in Caucasians (CAUC).
Results. We identified 257 cases meeting the ACR criteria for SLE diagnosed
between 1980 and 1996, There were 49 NAI cases, resulting in a prevalence
of 42.3/100,000, compared to a prevalence of 20.6/100,000 for the remainder
of the population. NAI patients were younger at diagnosis, had higher SLED
AI scores at diagnosis, and had more frequent vasculitis, proteinuria and c
ellular casts. There were no treatment differences at diagnosis or at 2 yea
rs, but NAI patients were significantly more likely to receive treatment wi
th prednisone or immunosuppressives at the last clinic visit. The NAI patie
nts had similar damage scores at diagnosis, but significantly higher scores
at 2 years and at the last clinic visit. NAT ethnicity increased the likel
ihood of death more than 4-fold.
Conclusion. The prevalence of SLE was increased 2-fold in the NAI populatio
n. NAI patients had higher SLEDAI scores at diagnosis and more frequent vas
culitis and renal involvement, required more treatment later in the disease
course, accumulated more damage following diagnosis, and had increased fat
ality.