Timing of Childhood‐Onset Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Diagnosis Relative to Menarche and the Impact on Final Adult Height. Issue 2 (10th January 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sontichai, Watchareewan; Liao, Fangming; Dominguez, Daniela; Levy, Deborah M.; Al Mutairi, Muna; Ng, Lawrence; Silverio, Frank; Silverman, Earl D.; Wasserman, Jonathan D.; Hiraki, Linda T.
• Is Part Of: Arthritis care & research. Volume 74:Issue 2(2022)
• Page Start: 199
• Page End: 207
• Publication Date: 2022-01-10
• Subjects: Arthritis -- Periodicals; Rheumatism -- Periodicals; 616.72
• DOI: 10.1002/acr.24461
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2151-464X

Abstract

Abstract : Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the impact of timing of a childhood‐onset systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) diagnosis relative to menarchal status, on final height, accounting for disease‐associated factors. Methods: We conducted a cohort study of female patients age <18 years at childhood‐onset SLE diagnosis, followed at a tertiary care pediatric center from July 1982 to March 2016 and restricted to patients with documented age of menarche and final height. We compared final height between patients diagnosed pre‐ and postmenarche. We tested the association of the timing of childhood‐onset SLE diagnosis with final height, adjusted for ethnicity, in linear regression models. We performed subgroup analyses of patients with growth during follow‐up, additionally adjusting for average daily corticosteroid dose and disease activity. Results: Of 401 female childhood‐onset SLE patients in the study, 115 patients (29%) were diagnosed premenarche and 286 (71%) postmenarche. Patients diagnosed premenarche were older at menarche compared with patients diagnosed postmenarche (mean ± SD age 13.5 ± 1.4 versus 12.5 ± 1.3 years; P < 0.001). The mean ± SD final height for girls diagnosed postmenarche (161.4 ± 6.9 cm) was greater than for those diagnosed premenarche (158.8 ± 7.3 cm; P = 0.001). In regression analysis, those diagnosed postmenarche were significantly taller than those diagnosed premenarche, as adjusted for ethnicity and disease severity (mean ± SD β = 2.6 ± 0.7 cm; P = 0.0006). Conclusion: In this large cohort study of girls with childhood‐onset SLE, patients diagnosed postmenarche achieved a taller final height than those diagnosed premenarche, even after accounting for ethnicity and disease severity.