Vol. 20 No. 1 (2026): Revista Reumatología al Día
Articles

Epidemiological, Clinical and Cumulative Damage Characterization of a Cohort of Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) in the Province of Manabí, Ecuador

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  • Yelena Sánchez Cantos,
  • Alejandra Dueñas Zambrano,
  • Amada Barcia Cansino,
  • Robin León Chancusig,
  • Arturo Reyes Paredes
Yelena Sánchez Cantos
Servicio de Reumatología, Hospital General Portoviejo (IESS), Manabí, Ecuador.
Alejandra Dueñas Zambrano
Reumatóloga, Hospital General Manta. Manabí, Ecuador.
Amada Barcia Cansino
Reumatóloga, Hospital General Portoviejo. Manabí, Ecuador.
Robin León Chancusig
Reumatólogo, Hospital General Manta. Manabí, Ecuador.
Arturo Reyes Paredes
Reumatólogo, Hospital General Jipijapa. Manabí, Ecuador.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.62484/rad.v20i1.12603

Published 2026-04-14

Keywords

  • Systemic lupus erythematosus,
  • Lupus nephritis,
  • Cumulative Damage Index,
  • Manabí

How to Cite

Sánchez Cantos, Y., Dueñas Zambrano, A., Barcia Cansino, A., León Chancusig, R., & Reyes Paredes, A. (2026). Epidemiological, Clinical and Cumulative Damage Characterization of a Cohort of Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) in the Province of Manabí, Ecuador. Reumatología Al Día, 20(1), 9. https://doi.org/10.62484/rad.v20i1.12603

Copyright (c) 2026 Reumatología al Día

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Abstract

Introduction: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic, multisystemic autoimmune disease of unknown etiology. Its clinical manifestations are heterogeneous and can affect virtually any organ.

Objectives: To describe the clinical-epidemiological profile, disease activity, cumulative organ damage, and physical functionality in a cohort of SLE patients in the province of Manabí.

Methods: Observational, retrospective, multicenter study of 143 patients treated at the IESS (Portoviejo, Manta, and Jipijapa) between 2010 and 2023. The EULAR/ACR 2019 classification criteria were applied retrospectively; patients diagnosed before 2019 were systematically reclassified. Disease activity was assessed using SLEDAI-2K and cumulative damage using SLICC/ACR DI (SDI). Functionality was measured with the Katz Index. Mean comparisons were performed using Welch’s t-test and proportion comparisons using chi-square or Fisher’s exact test.

Results: Of 143 patients, 125 (87.4%) met strict EULAR/ ACR 2019 criteria; the remaining 18 were included based on expert rheumatologist clinical diagnosis. The cohort was predominantly female (91.6%) and mestizo (88%), with a mean age of 36.4 ± 11.5 years at diagnosis. Joint (75.4%) and cutaneous (74.6%) involvement were the most frequent initial symptoms. Lupus nephritis was present in 42%. A total of 40.6% had cumulative organ damage (SDI ≥ 1). Statistical analysis identified class III– VI nephritis (p = 0.002), leukopenia (p = 0.002), and seizures (p = 0.010) as the main determinants of irreversible damage. Functional independence (Katz Type A) was maintained in 90.6%.

Conclusions: This first descriptive study in Manabí shows that SLE patients exhibit an aggressive phenotype with greater renal and neurological involvement, factors that predict progression toward organ damage. Specialized management results in adequate inflammatory activity control (SLEDAI from 9.8 to 3.36) and good preservation of functional independence.

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