Objectives: Up to 30~40% of all patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) experience thrombosis, presenting as stroke and myocardial infarction, and these thrombotic events cause substantial morbidity and mortality in SLE. We explored the risk factors associated with the occurrence of thrombotic events in SLE patients.

Methods: This study enrolled 259 SLE patients (mean age, 34.0 ± 13.7; 239 females) with available clinical data at the time of SLE onset from the lupus cohort at Chonnam National University Hospital. Sociodemographic, clinical, and laboratory data, and history of concomitant diseases were obtained. Thrombotic events were defined as the presence of arterial or venous thrombosis. The multivariable Cox’s model was performed to investigate the possible risk factors for thrombotic events.

Results: During a mean follow-up of 103.3 months (SD, 53.4), 27 patients (10.4%) developed thrombotic events: stroke in 15 patients, venous thrombosis in five patients, myocardial infarction in four patients, and angina in three patients. In the multivariable Cox’s regression analysis, hypertension (hazard ratio [HR], 16.946; P=0.031), antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) (HR, 18.348; P=0.001), cumulative prednisolone >5 mg/day (HR, 14.374; P<0.001), use of ACE inhibitors (ACEi) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) (HR, 0.110; P=0.004), and Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics Group (SLICC) damage index (HR, 1.972; P=0.004) were significant predictors of the development of thrombotic events in patients with SLE.

Conclusion: Patients with SLE showed significant thrombotic events during the course of their disease. Risk factors associated with thrombotic complications were higher cumulative dose of prednisolone, diagnosis of APS, and higher SLICC damage index. On the other hand, the use of ACEi or ARBs was associated with a reduced risk of thrombotic complications in patients with SLE. Our results support the need for increased monitoring of thrombotic complications in SLE patients.

Disclosure of Interests : None declared