ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL FEATURES OF PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY IN SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS AND SJÖGREN´S SYNDROME AND ASSOCIATION WITH SERUM IMMUNE MARKERS
- Álvaro Vivas, Colombia
Abstract
Background and Aims
Peripheral neuropathy in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and Sjögren´s syndrome (SS) represents significant morbidity. Nerve conduction studies (NCS) are the primary diagnostic tool for the diagnosis. This study aims to describe the electrophysiological features of peripheral neuropathy in SLE and SS and evaluate their association with serum immune markers.
Methods
This is a retrospective study based on the medical charts, laboratory, and NCS results of SLE and SS patients treated between 2016-2019 in a high complexity center in Colombia.
Results
We included 55 patients; 51 (92.73%) were female with a median age of 53 (34-62) years. Thirty-one (56.36%) patients had SS, nineteen SLE (34.55%), and five SLE/SS overlap (9.09%). Alterations in NCS were present in 20 (36.36%) patients, characterized mainly as demyelinating (n=14, 70%). SS patients exhibited lower amplitudes and velocities for the ulnar motor nerve (p≤0.050). Whereas, higher latencies with lower velocities were observed for the sensory branch of the ulnar nerve in SLE patients (p≤0.050). Positivity for anti-Smith antibody was significantly associated with a higher left median motor latency (p=0.028), lower left median (p=0.024), and ulnar (p=0.046) motor amplitudes, and lower left median (p=0.049) and right ulnar (p=0.039) sensory amplitudes. Likewise, positivity for anti-cardiolipin IgG antibodies was associated with a higher right median motor latency (p=0.033), higher bilateral ulnar motor latencies (p≤0.05), and lower bilateral ulnar sensory amplitudes (p≤0.050).
Conclusions
Electrophysiological features significantly differ between SS and SLE patients, particularly for the ulnar nerves. Anti-Sm and Anti-cardiolipin IgG antibodies might be involved in the pathogenesis of autoimmune peripheral neuropathy.