Clinical and laboratorial manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus in children and adolescents

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic, multisystemic inflammatory disease of unknown cause and autoimmune in nature. It is characterized by tissue damage mediated by autoantibodies, and can affect skin, joints, kidneys, central nervous system, cardiovascular system, serous, hematological system and immune system. The diagnosis is made according to the SLICC SLE classification criteria (Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics, 2012). There is a shortage of studies on juvenile SLE in the world and Brazilian literature. This pathology has peculiar characteristics in this age group that should be better defined.