OBJECTIVE To determine the serum levels of interferon alpha in childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus patients, their first-degree relatives and healthy controls and to evaluate the associations between serum interferon alpha and disease activity, laboratory findings and treatment features. METHODS We screened consecutive childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus patients in a longit...

OBJECTIVE Alexithymia and depressive mood have been described as important dimensions of several medical diseases. Systemic lupus erythematosus is a chronic condition characterized by unpredictable clinical manifestations. The relationships between alexithymia, depression, and illness perception were examined in systemic lupus erythematosus patients. The interrelationships between psychological...

PERICARDIAL effusion can be a striking physical and radiologic finding, but its occurrence as a manifestation of disseminated lupus erythematosus has not been emphasized. During the last 2 years 4 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus who had an associated pericardial effusion were seen at this hospital. Two of this group were misdiagnosed and treated incorreetly, partly because of failure...

Congenital heart block (CHB) is the most severe manifestation of Neonatal lupus erythematosus syndrome, which is often described as a model of passively acquired autoimmunity. CHB constitutes a unique model where specific maternal autoantibodies target and mediate fetal organ-specific disease. The essay will first review the studies that are at the basis of the definition of autoantibody-associ...

This review summarises most currently used indices to assess and monitor patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in clinical trials, long-term observational studies, and clinical care. Six SLE disease activity indices include the British Isles Lupus Assessment Group Index (BILAG), European Consensus Lupus Activity Measurement (ECLAM), Systemic Lupus Activity Measure (SLAM), Systemic Lu...

Three cases of myelosclerosis associated with systemic lupus erythematosus are described. The probable role of systemic lupus erythematosus in the initiation of myelonecrosis and subsequent myelosclerosis is discussed.

1Consultant Neonatologist, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Pediatric Department, Latifa Women & Children Hospital, Dubai Health Authority, UAE 2Consultant Neonatologist and Head of Pediatric Department & Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Latifa Women & Children Hospital, Dubai Health Authority, UAE 3Specialist Senior Registrar, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Pediatric Department, Latifa Women & Childr...

Neonatal lupus erythematosus (NLE) is an auto-immune disease related to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Unlike SLE it is not a spontaneous syndrome but rather an acquired one. In NLE the most common disease manifestations are a transient cutaneous lesion and cardiac conduction disturbances. The cutaneous lesions and other non-cardiac manifestations of NLE are transient and disappear about s...

PERICARDIAL effusion can be a striking physical and radiologic finding, but its occurrence as a manifestation of disseminated lupus erythematosus has not been emphasized. During the last 2 years 4 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus who had an associated pericardial effusion were seen at this hospital. Two of this group were misdiagnosed and treated incorreetly, partly because of failure...