Abstract:

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a common autoimmune disease with gender bias in clinical characteristics. The prevalence of SLE in females is significantly higher than that in males. The male patients differ from those females in organ involvement, severity, complications and prognosis, although male and female patients have common typical clinical manifestations. It is accepted that the severity and mortality of SLE in males are significantly higher than those in females. The therapy of SLE in males is similar to SLE in females, whereas there are differences in pharmaceuticals selection, cumulative dose and reactivity. The update of clinical characteristics of male patients with systemic lupus erythematosus is reviwed in this paper in ordet to improve the early identification and diagnosis of SLE in males.

Key words: systemic lupus erythematosus, male, gender difference, clinical characteristics