Difference and connection of clinical features and antinuclear antibody patterns in new-onset Systemic Lupus Erythematosus cross age groups

To investigate the differences in clinical features, and the relationship between antinuclear antibody (ANA) patterns, autoantibodies, and symptoms among different age groups in new-onset Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), we conducted a retrospective cohort study involving 556 patients diagnosed with SLE. These patients were classified into three groups: Group 1: juvenile-onset SLE (< 18 years); Group 2: early-onset adult SLE (18-50 years); and Group 3: late-onset SLE (≥ 50 years). We utilized a clustering heatmap to identify variations and associations of autoantibodies among the groups. The Kruskal-Wallis test was performed to compare clinical feature across the groups. The correlation heatmap were used to analyze the relationship of ANA patterns with symptoms. We found late-onset SLE patients exhibited more severe kidney damage and a higher likelihood of infection. ;Late-onset patients with a speckled ANA pattern were more prone to developing Raynaud's phenomenon. It is important for early-onset adult SLE patients with a homogeneous ANA pattern to be vigilant about the possibility of renal disorders and skin involvement. It is the first Chinese JSLE, early-onset ASLE and late-onset SLE study for ANA patterns, which enrolled a large number of newly diagnosed patients. These novel findings contribute to the diagnosis and prevention of SLE.