#5-63E. Persistently Aggressive: Longitudinal Disease Course of Childhood-Onset Lupus in Adulthood (Lupus Sci Med, 2026)

Do children with systemic lupus erythematosus continue to experience highly active disease once they transition into adulthood? This longitudinal cohort study reveals that adults with childhood-onset SLE exhibit significantly higher time-adjusted disease activity and spend less time in low disease activity states compared to adult-onset patients, although statistical power for subgroup analysis was limited by the relatively small pediatric sample size. These findings underscore the critical need for proactive transition care and early, aggressive treat-to-target strategies to mitigate long-term damage in this high-risk population.

Citation: Koelmeyer R, Gregory K, Kandane-Rathnayake R, et al. High disease activity persists in adults with childhood-onset lupus. Lupus Science & Medicine. 2026. DOI: 10.1136/lupus-2026-002138

URL: https://doi.org/10.1136/lupus-2026-002138

Disclaimer: This audio summary is based on personal interpretation and does not guarantee the exact content of the original paper. Please refer to the original article for details.