OBJECTIVE: To analyze clinical, laboratory, serological and treatment factors associated with death in a childhood onset childhood systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) population. METHODS: 55 patients out of 519 prospectively followed-up cohorts were identified as having childhood onset SLE in the State University of Campinas. Univariate analysis and Cox regression model were used to determinate the variables associated with death in this cohort. RESULTS: Death occurred in 12 patients (21.8%), caused by sepsis in 6 (50%), stroke in 4 (33.3%), and renal insufficiency in two (16.7%) cases. In the univariate analysis, male sex, infection and the use of cyclophosphamide were associated with death. In the multivariate regression, only male sex was related to death (odds ratio = 5.8). CONCLUSIONS: During a follow-up period of 27 years, death was observed in 21.8%. Although infection was directly responsible for half of the deaths, survival was not influenced by the presence of infection or renal insufficiency. Male sex was the only variable that influenced survival in this cohort. A greater attention should be given to boys with SLE in order to improve survival.
childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus; childhood-onset SLE; mortality; prognosis factors
