Clinical and immunological features of systemic lupus erythematosus complicated by Jaccoud's arthropathy

Abstract

This work was undertaken to evaluate clinical and immunological features in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) complicated by Jaccoud's arthropathy. Patients diagnosed with SLE between 1985 and 1999, and who met the criteria of Villiaumey et al., were checked for Jaccoud's arthropathy. Clinical features were retrospectively analysed for patients with both diseases. Sjögren's syndrome and human leukocyte antigens (HLA) in these patients were evaluated. Jaccoud's arthropathy was found in 15 (4.4%) of 340 patients with SLE. The mean age at the time of SLE diagnosis was significantly higher in these patients than in our control SLE patients, which was 51.2 ± 13.0 years (n = 15) and 29.6 ± 13.0 years (n = 222) (p = 2.1 × 10⁻⁸). Sjögren's syndrome was diagnosed according to the European Community Study Group's criteria in 10 (91%) of 11 patients examined. The incidence of HLA-A11 (5/9, 55%) and -B61(40) (5/9, 55%) in patients with Jaccoud's arthropathy was higher in the Japanese population (A11, 17.4%, p < 0.05; B61, 17.5%, p < 0.057. Jaccoud's arthropathy in patients with SLE is associated with Sjögren's syndrome, elderly SLE, HLA-A11, and HLA-B61. These clinical features might be characteristic of patients with Jaccoud's arthropathy and SLE.