Prevalence, Volume and Distribution of white substance damages in young and adults patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

• Grant number: 14/00777-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2014
• End date: July 31, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Medical Clinics
• Principal Investigator: Simone Appenzeller
• Grantee: Angela Cristina Gomes
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas (FCM). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 08/02917-0 - Blood and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers associated with structural and functional central nervous system abnormalities in systemic lupus erythematosus, AP.JP

Abstract

The Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease, multisystem, characterized by varied clinical manifestations depending on the organ or system affected. In general children and teenagers present a more severe form of this disease. In their case, the disease development and damage made by this are faster than in the case of adult patients with SLE. But both children and adult nervous system is affected by SLE, and their participation is also associated with a worse prognosis and more cumulative damage. The involvement of the central nervous system (CNS) in SLE ranges from 25-70%, depends of the applied diagnostic criteria. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the most sensitive test used to detect brain changes and brain anatomical abnormalities, including cerebral atrophy, being used both in SLE and other connective tissue diseases. MRI in patients with SLE may experience localized or diffuse brain atrophy and white substance damages. Thus, this study aims to examine the prevalence, volume and distribution of white substance damages in adults and young SLE, using MR images and comparing the prevalence of then between this ages groups.