Background: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex autoimmune disease, the exact causes of which are still not fully understood. Due to alterations in both innate and adaptive immune pathways, the clinical manifestations of SLE can range from mucocutaneous lesions to severe organ damage. In recent years, the impact of SLE on bone health has become increasingly recognized, with 24–74% of SLE patients classified as osteopenic, 1.4–68.7% diagnosed with osteoporosis, and a 4.7-fold increased fracture risk compared to age-matched healthy individuals [1]. The high prevalence of vertebral fractures among SLE patients, ranging from 20% to 61%, underscores the importance of assessing bone health in this population, as vertebral fractures are associated with significant morbidity, increased mortality, and an elevated risk of future fractures [1]. However, assessing bone status remains challenging in current clinical practice due to radiation exposure and limited accessibility [1]. In this context, radiofrequency echographic multi-spectrometry (REMS) technology can offer a safer and more accessible alternative to classical approaches for assessing bone status.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess and compare the lumbar spine T-scores of healthy subjects and SLE patients using REMS technology.

Methods: In this study, 15 adult Caucasian women diagnosed with SLE were enrolled. Lumbar spine T-scores were measured using REMS technology, and the results were compared with those of 15 healthy women with matching characteristics: body mass index (BMI), ethnicity, and age.

Results: The mean age and BMI were 58.7 ± 10.3 years and 26.1 ± 4.2 kg/m² for SLE patients, and 59 ± 10 years and 25.9 ± 4.2 kg/m² for the healthy population. The REMS T-score values measured at the lumbar spine were -1.92 ± 0.85 for SLE patients and -0.94 ± 0.06 for healthy individuals. The SLE population showed a significant decrease in T-score (p = 0.0012).

Conclusion: Our findings align with previous literature, showing bone damage as illustrated by a significant decrease in the T-score in the SLE population. These results support the potential of REMS technology as an alternative to classical diagnostic approaches for evaluating bone health in SLE patients.

REFERENCES: [1] Rella, V., Rotondo, C., Altomare, A., Cantatore, F. P., & Corrado, A. (2022). Bone involvement in systemic lupus erythematosus. International Journal of Molecular Sciences , 23 (10), 5804.

Acknowledgements: NIL.

Disclosure of Interests: None declared.

© The Authors 2025. This abstract is an open access article published in Annals of Rheumatic Diseases under the CC BY-NC-ND license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ ). Neither EULAR nor the publisher make any representation as to the accuracy of the content. The authors are solely responsible for the content in their abstract including accuracy of the facts, statements, results, conclusion, citing resources etc.