ABSTRACT
The clinical and immunological manifestations of 51 children with onset of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) before the age of 15 were compared with those of 308 adult patients with disease onset between the age of 15-49 and another 27 elderly lupus patients whose disease onset occurred at or after the age of 50. Overall disease activity determined by mean SLEDAI score was highest in the childhood group followed by the adult and the elderly group respectively. More severe form of cutaneous involvement, adenopathy, hypertension, renal involvement with renal insufficiency and anti-nDNA antibodies occurred predominantly in the childhood lupus. The clinical features distinguishing old-age lupus were chronic disease with a long interval between the time of onset and diagnosis, higher incidence of discoid rash and lower incidence of malar rash and renal involvement. Frequencies of anti-nDNA antibodies and renal involvement gradually decreased from childhood, to adulthood and to elderly lupus respectively. Anti-Sm antibodies were predominant in the adult onset group. Genetic markers, sex hormones and senility of the immune system may play a role in these age-related differences in clinical and immunological manifestations in SLE.