Table 1.

Baseline demographic and clinical characteristics of SLE patients.

Sex (female)	171 (90.48%)
Age of disease onset (years), mean ± SEM	30.71± 0.85
Malar rash	124 (65.61%)
Discoid rash	38 (20.10%)
Photosensitivity	110 (58.20%)
Oral ulcers	13 (6.88%)
Arthritis	119 (62.96%)
Serositis	53 (28.04%)
Pleuritis	33 (17.46%)
Pericarditis	33 (17.46%)
Renal disorders (*)	60 (31.75%)
Neurological disorders (**)	22 (11.64%)
Hematological disorders	121 (64.02%)
Haemolytic anemia (with reticulocytosis)	27 (14.28%)
Leukopenia	94 (49.73%)
Lymphopenia	16 (8.46%)
Thrombocytopenia	48 (25.40%)
Immunological disorders (***)	164 (86.77%)
ANA positivity	154 (81.48%)

^(*): Renal disorders include: a) persistent proteinuria greater than 0.5 grams per day or grater than 3 if quantitation not performed or b) presence of cellular casts (red cell, hemoglobin, granular, tubular, or mixed).

^(**): Neurological disorders include: a) seizures or b) psychosis,; both manifestations in the absence of offending drugs or known metabolic derangements, e.g., uremia, ketoacidosis, or electrolyte imbalance.

^(***): Immunological disorders include: a) positive SE cell test or b) presence of anti-DNA antibody or c) anti-Sm antibody or d) false positive serologic test for syphilis known to be positive for at least 6 months and confirmed by Treponema pallidum immobilization or fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption test